The Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN), a national advocacy organization that demonstrates against the death penalty, said the Biden administration’s pursuit of the death penalty while federal executions remain under moratorium sends “a mixed message” and that Catholics “can’t afford to divert our efforts toward perpetuating the cycle of violence through executions.”
“Today is an emotional day for those who lost loved ones in this violent display of antisemitism. We hold the survivors, the city of Pittsburgh, and all our Jewish brothers and sisters in our prayers,” said Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, CMN’s executive director.
“At the same time, we recognize that the federal death penalty is a fatally flawed system that offers many empty promises. For one, death sentences don’t deter or prevent violent hate crimes; in fact, many believe they create a notoriety that others want to emulate. Death sentences also don’t bring ‘closure’ to survivors as promised; they do, however, almost guarantee years of appeals and retraumatizing legal processes.”
Murphy concluded: “Robert Bowers is guilty of a heinous hate crime and needs to be held accountable as such. But as Catholics committed to honoring the sanctity of all life, we do not believe that sentencing him to death was the way.”
After the 2018 shooting, Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh strongly denounced anti-Jewish bigotry and called for prayer that turns into action. Zubik stressed the importance of prayer, loving one’s neighbor, and working to end bigotry.
Then-Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia said: “Religious and ethnic hatred is vile in any form, but the ugly record of the last century is a lesson in the special evil of antisemitism. … It has no place in America, and especially in the hearts of Christians.”