On August 14, Catholics around the world honor St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Franciscan priest who willingly gave his life at Auschwitz in 1941 to save a young father from execution. His heroic witness, rooted in the Gospel, continues to inspire Catholics to defend the dignity of every human life—including those on death row. According to Vatican News, St. Maximilian is now the patron saint of the pro-life movement, families, and prisoners, making his feast a fitting occasion to reflect on the Church’s call to abolish capital punishment.
The Catholic Church’s position on the death penalty was made even clearer in 2018, when Pope Francis updated the Catechism to state that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person” (Vatican News). Yet, despite this teaching, the United States has seen an increase in executions this year. As Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, Executive Director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network, told Vatican News, “So far this year, ten states have taken the lives of 28 individuals—an increase from the total 25 executions in the United States throughout 2024.” She noted that many of these people were sentenced decades ago, sometimes under laws that have since been changed, and in several cases, juries later said they would not have voted for death if they had known all the evidence.
While such numbers may seem discouraging, Murphy sees them as “relics of the past” rather than signs of renewed strength for capital punishment. Public opinion is shifting—Gallup reported in late 2024 that support for the death penalty had dropped to 53%, the lowest since the 1970s. Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, are leading this change, with only 42% favoring capital punishment compared to 62% of Baby Boomers (Vatican News). Catholic support has also declined more than any other religious demographic since the 1970s, with the largest drop among weekly Mass-goers, reflecting how Church teaching shapes the faithful’s conscience.
For Catholics, this work is not just political but deeply spiritual. Murphy emphasized that in this Jubilee Year, believers are called to be “Pilgrims of Hope,” finding courage even in difficult moments. St. Maximilian’s life and death remind us that one person’s sacrifice can transform the world. As Murphy prayed, “that he will bring hope to those who are weighed down by the heavy weight of state-sanctioned death” (Vatican News). In honoring his feast, Catholics are invited to renew their commitment to defending life in all circumstances, working toward a future where the death penalty is no longer part of our nation’s laws.
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