Catholics across the country are instead being are encouraged to take part in a nationwide prayer vigil from Jan. 28 through Jan. 29, marking the 48th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions legalizing abortion.
Respect Life
Catholic advocates against death penalty urge clemency for woman on federal death row
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.
Region’s bishops urge Trump to stop planned federal execution of Maryland man
The prelates of the Maryland Catholic Conference have written to President Donald Trump, urging him to not move forward with the planned federal execution of a Maryland man next month.
Death penalty hits historic low in U.S. ‘despite federal execution spree,’ says report
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.
Maryland bishops endorse use of Pfizer, Moderna COVID vaccines
The Maryland Catholic Conference – which represents bishops serving the archdioceses of Baltimore and Washington as well as the diocese of Wilmington, Del. – is recommending that the faithful receive COVID-19 vaccines developed by U.S. pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna when available.
Bishops: Getting COVID-19 vaccine is ‘act of charity,’ supports the common good
The “gravity” of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and “the lack of availability of alternative vaccines,” are “sufficiently serious” reasons to accept the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, the chairmen of the U.S. bishops’ doctrine and pro-life committees said Dec. 14.
Sister Prejean decries federal execution on Human Rights Day
Calling the Dec. 10 federal execution of Brandon Bernard an injustice carried out by the country’s criminal justice system, Sister Helen Prejean urged Americans to speak up to stop a series of upcoming executions in the final weeks of the Trump administration.
Catholic leaders decry additional federal execution measures
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.
Use of Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines is morally acceptable, say bishops
While confusion has arisen in recent days in the media over “the moral permissibility” of using the COVID-19 vaccines just announced by Pfizer Inc. and Moderna, it is not “immoral to be vaccinated with them,” the chairmen of the U.S. bishops’ doctrine and pro-life committees said Nov. 23.
U.S. bishops urge Trump, Barr to stop upcoming federal executions
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.
Working group formed to deal with conflicts between Biden policies, church teaching
Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit will head up a special working group of the U.S. bishops to address issues surrounding the election of a Catholic president and policies that may come about that would be in conflict with Catholic teaching and the bishops’ priorities.
Archbishop Lori to lead USCCB pro-life committee, Wisconsin priest chosen to be next general secretary
Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore was elected on a vote of 139-102 over Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver to lead the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, it was announced during the first day of the USCCB’s annual fall general assembly Nov. 16.