Four Catholic publications have issued a joint statement denouncing the death penalty and calling for its abolition.
According to the Catholic News Agency, the America magazine, the National Catholic Register, the National Catholic Reporter and Our Sunday Visitor published editorials on Thursday outlining their stance on capital punishment.
In the joint editorial, the publications described the act of capital punishment as "abhorrent and unnecessary" and argued that cases involving the death penalty use up a lot of time and resources that they said could have been allocated to crime prevention as well as working for "restorative justice" with other inmates charged with less serious crimes.
They then urged people to stand up against capital punishment.
"We, the editors of four Catholic journals...urge the readers of our diverse publications and the whole US Catholic community and all people of faith to stand with us and say, 'Capital punishment must end'," the publications said.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments next month on a case challenging the humanity of lethal injection. The suit alleged that the procedure in lethal injection is inhumane and cruel.
The challenge comes after executions in at least three states showed death row inmates suffering during the process.
Physiological reactions like "gasping for breath, choking, convulsing, and clenching...fists" were observed in some executions, while one inmate suffered a massive heart attack as a result of the procedure. In another execution, the inmate suffered for two hours before dying.
The publications expressed hope that the Supreme Court would rule to expand the moratorium on capital punishment that has been ordered by governors of the states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
"We join our bishops in hoping the court will reach the conclusion that it is time for our nation to embody its commitment to the right to life by abolishing the death penalty once and for all," the statement concluded.
