Statements on Federal Executions
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A Statement from Archbishop Charles C. Thompson calling again for an end to federal executions in Indiana
December 14, 2020
As we approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus, who came to give us life, I once again appeal to the conscience of all humanity and ask our federal government to halt the upcoming executions within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute. Several executions have been scheduled for December and January.
Indiana’s five Catholic bishops, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and other religious leaders in Indiana have respectfully appealed several times to no avail to federal officials to end federal executions since they were resumed this year after a 17-year hiatus. Opposition to the death penalty is rooted in principles of Catholic teaching, grounded in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (cf. CCC, 2267) as well as various papal and curial pronouncements.
We must never forget the victims of violence and their families. In fact, closely related to the Church’s pastoral care of those who have fallen victim to crime, is our moral obligation to protect and defend the dignity of every person, particularly the vulnerable. Our concern for victims and their families must not prevent us from doing what we can to also care for the families of those who perpetrate such violence and crimes. Regarding the death penalty, attention must also be given to its impact on those who work in the prison system with particular concern for those who are designated to carry out an execution.
Among the various threats to human life and dignity in our society, as Pope Francis has stated, the death penalty remains “inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.” In his most recent encyclical letter, Fratelli Tutti (“On Fraternity and Social Friendship”), noting that “arguments against the death penalty are numerous and well-known,” the Holy Father reaffirms the Church’s commitment to calling for the abolition of the death penalty around the world:
Let us keep in mind that not even a murderer loses his personal dignity, and God
himself pledges to guarantee this. The firm rejection of the death penalty shows to
what extent it is possible to recognize the inalienable dignity of every human being
and to accept that he or she has a place in this universe. If I do not deny that dignity
to the worst of criminals, I will not deny it to anyone. I will give everyone the
possibility of sharing this planet with me, despite all our differences. [#269]
The death penalty, far from resolving anything or providing “justice” for victims, ultimately contributes to the perpetuation of a culture of death. The urgency of this appeal is directed toward promoting a culture of life that takes into consideration the ultimate dignity and sacredness of every person as well as society itself. We must be committed to both prayer and action if we are to be agents of divine grace in transforming the hearts of individuals and communities to more fully embrace the sacredness of life. I urge Catholics and all people of good will to join in the urgency of this call, as we ask the federal government to restore its moratorium on the death penalty until it can be formally rescinded. -
ICC Statement on Federal Executions- August 25, 2020
Fellow Catholics in Indiana,
The execution of Daniel Lewis Lee on July 13, 2020 ended a 17 year informal moratorium on federal executions of prisoners on death row. Since July 13, three inmates have been executed in Terra Haute, Indiana, and two more executions are scheduled for August 26 and 28. Two more federal death row inmates have been scheduled for execution in September 2020.
The Catholic Church has, for many years, spoken against the use of the death penalty in communities with developed criminal justice systems. The Church, since 2018, now affirms a clearer teaching where the death penalty is inadmissible. (read more here)The Catechism of the Catholic Church's recent revision of #2267 states: recourse to the death penalty on the part of legitimate authority, following a fair trial, was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes and an acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good.
Today, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes. In addition, a new understanding has emerged of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state. Lastly, more effective systems of detention have been developed, which ensure the due protection of citizens but, at the same time, do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption.
Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”, and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide.
In light of this teaching, and in the face of the continuing federal executions, Catholics in Indiana are asked to contact federal legislators to encourage them to work on eliminating the use of the federal death penalty.
Although ending the death penalty may seem like a daunting task, the voice of a few can continue the trend we are currently seeing across the US in the past several years--record lows for for death penalty sentences around the country.
You can also send a message to Attorney General William Barr by clicking here.