Vatican City: Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN), a national Catholic organization dedicated to abolishing the death penalty, is urging President Joe Biden to commute the sentences of the 40 men currently on federal death row.

With just nine weeks remaining in his presidency, President Biden has a rare chance to align his actions with Catholic teaching and spare these lives, says CMN Executive Director Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy.

“We are at a critical juncture,” Murphy told *Vatican News*. “The president holds the constitutional authority to commute these sentences and take decisive action during this urgent moment.”

Catholic Teaching Against the Death Penalty

In 2018, Pope Francis revised the *Catechism of the Catholic Church*, solidifying the Church’s stance against the death penalty. The revised teaching emphasizes that the dignity of every person remains intact, even after committing grave crimes.

“The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,” states paragraph 2267 of the Catechism. The Church continues to advocate for its abolition worldwide.

President Biden imposed a moratorium on federal executions in June 2021. However, his successor, President-elect Donald Trump, has expressed intentions to overturn the moratorium and resume executions, heightening the urgency of this appeal.

A Jubilee of Hope and Biden’s Legacy

President Biden’s final month in office coincides with the beginning of the 2025 Jubilee of Hope, a Holy Year rooted in Biblical principles of liberation and societal balance.

“This Jubilee is a historic time for recommitment to justice and mercy,” said Murphy. “It offers a profound opportunity for a Catholic president to reflect these values by taking a stand against the death penalty.”

Pope Francis has also called for the abolition of the death penalty as part of the 2025 Jubilee, urging believers worldwide to advocate for dignified treatment of prisoners and the elimination of capital punishment, which he described as a denial of hope and rehabilitation.

A Global Message

Murphy underscored that a decision by President Biden to commute these sentences would send a powerful message of hope, resonating far beyond the United States.

“This could be a defining moment for President Biden,” she said. “Such a historic act during the Jubilee year would inspire the world toward mercy, forgiveness, and a renewed commitment to justice.”