Important Church Documents

• Statements by the Holy Father and the Vatican http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/death-penalty-capital-punishment/holy-father-and-vatican.cfm
• John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae (Gospel of Life), nos. 55-56. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae_en.html
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Statement on Capital Punishment (1980)  http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/death-penalty-capital-punishment/statement-on-capital-punishment.cfm
• Administrative Board of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Good Friday Appeal to End the Death Penalty (1999) http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/death-penalty-capital-punishment/good-friday-appeal.cfm
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death (2005) http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/death-penalty-capital-punishment/culture-of-life-penalty-of-death.cfm
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice (2000) http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/criminal-justice-restorative-justice/crime-and-criminal-justice.cfm
• Iowa Catholic Bishops’ Statement on Death Penalty  (1998) http://www.iowacatholicconference.org/bins/site/templates/blank.asp?_resolutionfile=templatespath|blank.asp&area_2=pages/ICC%20Web%20Site/Statements/deathpenalty2

Useful Resources

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Office of Pro-Life Activities, Capital Punishment http://www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/cappunish/index.shtml
• Sister Helen Prejean, Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States.  Vintage, 1994.
• Sister Helen Prejean, The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions.  Random House, 2004.

Audio-Visual Resources

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death.  DVD (15 minutes) with study guide. $9.95
• Film Dead Man Walking.  MGM.   2 hours and 2 minutes.  Based on a book of the same title (see above).
• YouTube:  CSU Sonoma  Conversation Peace: Dead Man Walking  The Journey Continues  A Discussion with Sister Helen Prejean  (October 29, 2004) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsyViBQNVm4

Action Steps

• Organize parish participation in the Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty http://www.usccb.org/deathpenalty/