Even though 2022 was another year with fewer than 30 executions, more than half of those were in just two states, Oklahoma and Texas.
Respect Life
Advocates displeased with U.S. vote against global death penalty ban
When the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution Dec. 15 to establish a worldwide “moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty,” the United States continued its practice of voting against it.
Priests for Life head says Vatican didn’t tell him directly he was laicized
– In a live morning broadcast on Twitter Dec. 18, Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, said he was not told directly by the Vatican that he has been laicized.
Dobbs decision dominates Supreme Court’s year
Although they were pleased with the Dobbs outcome, Catholic leaders acknowledged then and months later that the decision didn’t lessen the urgency for the church in its pro-life advocacy efforts.
State Supreme Court reinstates Georgia’s six-week ban on abortions
The Supreme Court of Georgia Nov. 23 reinstated a law that bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is about six weeks into a pregnancy.
U.S. Catholic leaders speak out against three November executions
In the third week of November, three executions by lethal injection took place in the U.S. in just two days and a fourth execution was called off after failed attempts happened close to the expiration of the prisoner’s death warrant.
Speakers outline medical, societal trends threatening Catholic health care
The inaugural Symposium for the Advancement of Catholic Health Care on Nov. 12 didn’t try to advance policy proposals, but it had a single message: Keep fighting.
Pro-life efforts call for ‘radical solidarity,’ Archbishop Lori says
The Catholic Church’s teaching on the respect for life is credible when it helps expectant mothers with a host of services based in love, Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori said Nov. 15 as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops met for its annual fall meeting in Baltimore.
As USCCB president, Archbishop Broglio says he welcomes meeting with Biden
The incoming president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said he is willing to meet with public officials, including President Joe Biden, to discuss public policy issues of concern to the church.
Church has ‘work to do’ in promoting pro-life message, bishops told by Archbishop Lori
In a year when abortion has been front and center in U.S. politics — from the Supreme Court decision to recent state referendums — the Catholic Church faces a challenge of promoting its pro-life message to its own members and society at large, said Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori.
After abortion vote, Michigan prelate says church must help women even more
In a letter to the faithful, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit said he grieved with those who have spent months praying, fasting and advocating against Proposal 3 for the “millions of lives” that are now at stake because of the ballot proposal’s passage Nov. 8.
Annual National Prayer Vigil for Life will take place in Washington Jan. 19-20
The National Prayer Vigil for Life held each January will continue even with the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade because there is “still a great need for prayer and advocacy”‘ to end abortion and protect the unborn and their mothers, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said Nov. 11.