The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recently launched a Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty. The Catholic campaign will work to change the debate and decisions on the use of the death penalty. The cause is not new as the bishops’ conference has opposed the death penalty for 25 years. The campaign however, will bring a new urgency and advocacy to Catholics and political leaders to end the use of the death penalty in this country.

In announcing the Campaign Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington D.C., noted a recent survey of Catholic attitudes on the death penalty. The survey conducted by pollster John Zogby found support for the use of the death penalty among American Catholics had plunged in the past few years. In past surveys, Catholic support for the death penalty was as high as 68%. In the November, 2004, survey less than half of the Catholic adults (48%) now support the use of the death penalty, while 47% oppose it.

The survey also reported that:

• The more often Catholics attend Mass, the less likely they are to support the use of the death penalty.
• The younger Catholics are, the less likely they are to support the death penalty.
• A third of Catholic who once supported the use of the death penalty now oppose it.

Among the major reasons Catholics gave for opposing the use of the death penalty was “respect for life.” Two of three (63%) Catholics are deeply concerned about what the use of the death penalty “does to us as a people and a country,” according to the surveys.

One focus of the Campaign will be on educating the Catholic population in parishes, schools, universities and seminaries about the Catholic teaching on the death penalty. The Campaign will also focus on advocacy to end the death penalty in Congress, state legislatures and in legal briefs before the courts.

The Catholic campaign has a new website www.ccedp.org, which includes a basic brochure, explanation of the Church’s teaching, and resources for education and action. It includes lesson plans for Catholic schools and religious education, action alerts, and tools for advocacy.