Catholic advocates against death penalty urge clemency for woman on federal death row December 30, 2020By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, World News The execution date of Lisa Montgomery, the only woman on federal death row, is currently undecided. In late December a federal judge said the Justice Department unlawfully rescheduled her execution while there had already been a stay in effect, granted because one of her attorneys tested positive for the coronavirus.
Death penalty hits historic low in U.S. ‘despite federal execution spree,’ says report December 17, 2020By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, World News A new report Dec. 16 by the Death Penalty Information Center said the use of capital punishment reached a historic low this year in the United States even with the return of federal executions by the Trump administration.
Catholic leaders decry additional federal execution measures December 1, 2020By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, World News A move by the Department of Justice to expand how it carries out federal death sentences — to include electrocution, gas or firing squads along with lethal injections –was sharply criticized by Catholic anti-death penalty activists.
Court says N.Y. pandemic limits on houses of worship restrict religious freedom November 27, 2020By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: Coronavirus, Feature, News, Religious Freedom, Supreme Court, World News In a 5-4 decision issued just before midnight Nov. 25, the Supreme Court lifted the pandemic restrictions on congregation sizes at houses of worship imposed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
U.S. bishops urge Trump, Barr to stop upcoming federal executions November 19, 2020By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, World News In response to the upcoming federal execution of Orlando Hall Nov. 19, and two more federal executions scheduled to take place in December, two U.S. bishops’ committee chairmen called on the government to end this practice.
Bishops encouraged to continue response to pandemic, racism, abuse November 17, 2020By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: Coronavirus, Feature, News, Racial Justice, U.S. Bishops Meeting - Fall 2020, World News Two women who lead groups that advise the U.S. bishops on key issues, encouraged them Nov. 16 to continue holding dialogues on racism, reaching out to Catholics during the pandemic and letting Catholics know about their efforts to prevent abuse in the church.
Alex Trebek dies at 80; host of ‘Jeopardy!’ was educated in Catholic schools November 10, 2020By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Obituaries, World News When the death of Alex Trebek — beloved longtime host of “Jeopardy!” — was announced, celebrities and fans around the country took to social media to express their grief.
Supreme Court set to hear arguments in Catholic foster care case November 2, 2020By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Supreme Court, World News The Supreme Court, with a full bench, will hear oral arguments by teleconference Nov. 4 about a Catholic social service agency that had been excluded from Philadelphia’s foster care program for not accepting same-sex couples as foster parents.
Senate confirms Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court October 27, 2020By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: 2020 Election, Feature, News, Supreme Court, U.S. Congress, World News A divided Senate, in a 52-48 vote, confirmed Amy Coney Barrett as a justice for the Supreme Court the evening of Oct. 26 and soon afterward she was sworn in by Justice Clarence Thomas at a White House ceremony.
In confirmation hearings, Barrett stresses commitment to ‘rule of law’ October 13, 2020By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Supreme Court, World News On Oct. 13, the second day of confirmation hearings on her Supreme Court nomination, Judge Amy Coney Barrett made a clear distinction between policy preferences and legal precedents in responding to questions from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Supreme Court confirmation hearings highlight health care, religion October 12, 2020By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Supreme Court, World News Indiana senators who introduced Barrett, remotely, to the committee near the end of the five hours of discussion about her, highlighted Barrett’s judicial talents and also emphasized that her Catholic faith should not come into question.
Catholic activists applaud encyclical’s stance against death penalty October 6, 2020By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, Fratelli Tutti, News, Respect Life, Social Justice, Vatican, World News Pope Francis tackled several issues in his new encyclical, but the section devoted to ending capital punishment was particularly cheered by U.S. Catholics who oppose the death penalty.
