Press Statement

CMN will honor His Eminence Wilton Cardinal Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, and visionary anti-death penalty champions Vicki and Syl Schieber at the "Justice Reimagined Awards & Celebration" on World Day Against the Death Penalty 2022.

For Immediate Release: September 28, 2022
Contact: Moira Greaney at moira@catholicsmobilizing.org
Website: catholicsmobilizing.org Twitter: @CMNEndtheDP

As part of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Pope Francis has designated his monthly prayer intention for September to address the death penalty and call for its abolition worldwide.

“We give thanks to God that Melissa will not be executed this week and that she will soon have the opportunity for a new trial to prove her innocence."

A new poetry contest from Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN) invites young Catholics between the ages of 18-30 to submit an original poem about the injustice of capital punishment for a chance to win a cash prize.

With an April 27, 2022 execution date looming, Catholic leaders are calling on Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant clemency to Melissa Lucio, a Mexican-American mother and practicing Catholic with a strong claim of innocence.

A new podcast from Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN) called Encounters With Dignity is helping grow Catholics’ understanding of restorative justice and encouraging  listeners to engage with restorative practices. 

A new report released Thursday by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) describes 2021 as a year of “competing forces” with regard to the death penalty.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt commuted the death sentence of Julius Jones Thursday just hours before his scheduled execution, partially-heeding two clemency recommendations from the state’s Pardon and Parole Board.

Oklahoma took the life of John Marion Grant Thursday in what turned out to be a problematic execution that left Mr. Grant convulsing repeatedly and vomiting before his death.