Pope Francis' direct challenge to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Bahrain's treatment of prisoners and its practice of capital punishment stunned family members who seek reprieve for their death row loved ones.
Although the Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution of Dustin Higgs Jan. 15, two justices made their objections known loud and clear in dissents that called into question the speed of these decisions and even the constitutionality of capital punishment.
It's Happening: With the outgoing administration supporting a surge in federal executions, our attention and gratitude goes to the stories of families who have lost loved ones to homicide but publicly lobby against governmental vengeance.
The executive director of the Virginia Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state's bishops, said he was pleased bipartisan support is growing for ending Virginia's death penalty.
Religious leaders in a Georgetown-hosted webinar said people of faith have a moral duty to end the death penalty and resist policies that treat human beings as disposable.
Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty has signed onto a letter urging Congress to pass legislation to end the federal death penalty, and to oppose executions scheduled before Biden's inauguration.
"We must stop the execution of Lisa Montgomery. Lisa was psychotic — unable to act rationally — when she committed a terrible crime. She desperately needed psychiatric care and instead she got a death sentence," said Sr. Helen Prejean in a Nov. 12 Facebook post.
Eight Catholic bishops serving Maryland dioceses urged President Donald Trump Dec. 22 to stop the planned federal execution of Dustin Higgs, a Maryland man on death row in Indiana.
