“Charity is certainly
greater than any rule.
Moreover, all rules
must lead to charity.”

Death Penalty Priority Issue

SC Congregational Stand on the Death Penalty

As a Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, we believe that the death penalty should be abolished in the United States in law and in practice. October 2000

Catholic Social Teaching on the Death Penalty

According to Catholic Social Teaching – Rights and Responsibilities, the Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities – to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.

On August 1, 2018, Pope Francis approved a new revision of paragraph number 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, according to which “a new understanding has emerged of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state,” thus, “the death penalty is inadmissible.”

Local Organizations to Partner with:

• Ohioans to Stop Executions (OTSE): https://otse.org/

Action Fall 2023: Support the NoDeathPenaltyOH campaign: https://nodeathpenaltyoh.com/

National Organizations:

• Catholic Mobilizing Network: https://catholicsmobilizing.org/death-penalty
• Equal Justice Initiative: https://eji.org/issues/death-penalty/

Books on the Topic to Read:

• Just Mercy by BrIyan Stevenson
• Dead Man Walking by Sr. Helen Prejean (https://www.sisterhelen.org/)

Connect with Mackenzie Doyle, doyle@srcharitycinti.org, if you would like more information about this issue.

Sign Up here to be involved in Faith Week to push to end the Death Penalty in Ohio:

• Faith Week and Day of Prayer to End Ohio’s Death Penalty (nodeathpenaltyoh.com)