The article discusses the Catholic Church's efforts to abolish the death penalty in the United States, referencing St. Maximilian Kolbe as a guiding figure. The Catholic Mobilizing Network, a nonprofit, is actively working towards the abolition of the death penalty. Pope Francis explicitly denounced the death penalty in 2018, stating it is inadmissible. The Executive Director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network, Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, shared insights on the death penalty landscape and changing perceptions.
4 months ago
The Catholic Church, through Pope Francis's 2018 modification of the Catechism, explicitly denounces the death penalty as "inadmissible" due to its attack on human inviolability and dignity 1. This teaching serves as a foundational principle for Catholic efforts to abolish capital punishment. US Catholics, particularly those involved with the Catholic Mobilizing Network, draw inspiration from St. Maximilian Kolbe, the patron saint of the pro-life movement, who sacrificed his life for another in Auschwitz 1.
The United States has recently experienced a mixed trend regarding the death penalty 1. While there was a historic campaign for federal death row commutations in December (37 of 40 individuals commuted by then-President Joe Biden), the first seven months of 2025 have seen an uptick in state-level executions 1. Ten states have executed 28 individuals so far in 2025, an increase from the 25 total executions in 2024 1. Some states are also exploring new or revitalized execution methods and expanding the application of capital punishment through legislation 1.
Despite the recent increase in state executions, significant progress towards abolition is evident 1. Many individuals executed this year were sentenced decades ago under laws that have since changed, and in some cases, juries have indicated they would not have voted for death with current evidence 1. New death sentences remain near historic lows, with only ten people sentenced to death in six states in 2025, representing a 30% decrease from the same period last year 1. Public opinion is also increasingly turning against capital punishment; Gallup reported in November 2024 that support for the death penalty had dropped to 53%, its lowest since the 1970s 1.
Younger generations are leading the decline in death penalty support, with only 42% of Gen Z favoring it compared to 62% of Baby Boomers 1. Furthermore, Catholic support for the death penalty has decreased more than any other religious demographic since the 1970s, particularly among weekly mass-goers 1. This trend highlights the significant impact of the Church's teachings on its adherents' views regarding capital punishment 1.
What is the Church's teaching on capital punishment?
The Catholic Church teaches that the death penalty is inadmissible because it constitutes an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person . This position represents a development of doctrine, rooted in the Church's consistent defense of human life and dignity .
Historically, recourse to the death penalty by legitimate authority, following a fair trial, was considered an appropriate response to grave crimes and a means of safeguarding the common good . Even in the Papal States, this form of punishment was used, reflecting a mentality that was more legalistic than Christian .
However, there has been a growing awareness within the Church that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes . This heightened moral awareness has led to a re-evaluation of capital punishment . Pope John Paul II, in Evangelium Vitae, noted a growing tendency in both the Church and civil society to demand that the death penalty be applied in a very limited way or abolished completely . He emphasized that punishment should primarily aim to redress disorder, defend public order, ensure safety, and offer the offender an incentive for rehabilitation . He concluded that cases where execution is absolutely necessary to defend society are "very rare, if not practically non-existent," especially with improvements in penal systems .
Pope Francis has further clarified and reaffirmed the Church's stance, stating that "today capital punishment is unacceptable, however serious the condemned’s crime may have been" . He requested a revision of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to reflect this development .
The revised Catechism (number 2267) now 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" .
The reasons for this teaching include:
The current teaching is not a contradiction of past Magisterium but rather a "coherent development of Catholic doctrine" . It builds upon the teaching of John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae and reflects a deeper understanding of Christian truth and human dignity . The Church's consistent defense of human life from conception to natural death underpins this development .
The Church also views life sentences, which remove the possibility of moral and existential redemption, as a "form of death penalty in disguise" . The Church actively works for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty .