Washington: As the world observes the World Day Against the Death Penalty, Catholic leaders and human rights advocates are urging nations to recommit to abolishing executions an effort that, despite historic progress, faces new challenges. Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, Executive Director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN) in the United States, called the day “an opportunity to redouble efforts despite setbacks,” underscoring both the advances and the troubling resurgence of executions across the globe.
According to international reports, 145 countries have now abolished the death penalty in law or practice more than two-thirds of the world’s nations. Yet, the number of executions worldwide reached 1,518 in 2024, marking the highest figure since 2015. The vast majority of these took place in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the United States, where the death penalty continues to be legally enforced.
The annual observance on October 10 serves as both a moment of reflection and a renewed call for justice reform. For many campaigners, the issue is not only legal but profoundly moral a matter of defending human dignity at every stage of life.
Speaking to Vatican News, Vaillancourt Murphy emphasized that the United States stands at a crossroads. “About half of the states have repealed the death penalty, and half still retain it,” she said. “We are, unfortunately, witnessing an uptick in executions—a troubling regression.”
Even on the day dedicated to ending executions, an inmate was scheduled to be executed in Indiana, highlighting the moral contradiction that persists in American society. “October is Respect Life Month in the Catholic Church,” she added, “and yet this month, eight executions are scheduled. It’s a stark contradiction to the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of all human life.”
Despite the setbacks, Vaillancourt Murphy reaffirmed the determination of Catholic advocates: “We will not give up this fight. The progress we’ve made has been hard-won, and we will continue until the death penalty is abolished in the United States.”
The Catholic Church in the United States has consistently voiced opposition to capital punishment, with Florida’s bishops taking the lead this year amid the state’s record number of executions. They have repeatedly appealed to the governor to grant clemency and invited the faithful to pray a novena for mercy and justice.
“In states like Florida and Texas, we see a unified front among bishops,” Vaillancourt Murphy said. “Their courage and compassion remind us that defending life means protecting even those who have committed grave crimes.”
Despite the current surge, public opinion in the U.S. appears to be shifting. A recent Gallup poll found that support for the death penalty is at its lowest level since the 1970s. Over the past two decades, the number of executions in the United States has dropped by nearly half, while the number of exonerations and commutations has increased.
“American society is becoming less tolerant of the death penalty,” Murphy observed. “We may be experiencing a temporary setback, but the long-term trend is moving toward abolition.”
Vaillancourt Murphy also noted the impact of political rhetoric, especially during previous administrations that promoted federal executions. “The bold, punitive tone from political leaders has made the fight harder,” she admitted. “But courage is visible when Americans of all political backgrounds begin to see this as a human life issue, not a partisan debate.”
Indeed, the movement against the death penalty has evolved into a rare point of bipartisan agreement. “It’s no longer just a progressive cause,” she said. “People from both sides of the aisle are recognizing that the death penalty violates the sanctity of life.”
For Catholics, opposition to the death penalty stems directly from the Church’s teaching on human dignity a conviction strengthened under recent pontificates. Pope Francis and now Pope Leo XIV have repeatedly described capital punishment as “an offense to the sanctity of life” and urged all nations to seek justice rooted in mercy.
“The Church has many pressing issues to address,” Vaillancourt Murphy acknowledged, “but that does not diminish this cause. Ending the death penalty is about honoring the image of God in every person.”
As the world marks the World Day Against the Death Penalty, her message resonates clearly:
“Do not be silent. Stand up for life. This is a moment to show courage, compassion, and faith until every death sentence is replaced with hope.”