USCCB
campaign reiterates church's position on the death penalty
by the
During Holy Week, the US
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched a new initiative aimed at
ending the use of the death penalty. The timing of the announcement was
poignant, as it coincided with the time when Christians mark the execution of
Jesus Christ. The Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty
provides an explanation of the church's teaching, resources for advocacy and
action, Bishops' statements and lesson plans for Catholic schools and religious
education programs.
Despite the fact that there
is no legislative proposal for reinstate-ment of the death penalty in
Just last year, as news of a
horrible crime spread across the state, anger and shock drove some to call for
reinstatement of the death penalty. Legislation was introduced and debate
ensued. The Minnesota Catholic Conference took an active role in opposing this
legislation. The Catholic Bishops of Minnesota spoke on this issue, and in
their letter to the Governor they said, "Behavior that threatens lives and
violates the rights of others cannot be tolerated and those who harm others
must be held accountable. Society has a right to establish and enforce laws to
protect all people and advance the common good. As a society, we are challenged to work together to seek solutions that hold
offenders accountable. We encourage you to confront crime without vengeance and
resist injustice through non-lethal methods. Violent responses to crime only
beget more violence. As a society, we must seek solutions to crime and conflicts
that both respect the dignity of human life and preserve justice."
To find out how you can
participate and to learn more about The Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the
Death Penalty, visit the USCCB online at www.ccedp.org.
The Minnesota Catholic Conference
(MCC) is the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in