Reacting to the announcement of a moratorium on federal executions, the chairmen of the bishops’ domestic policy and pro-life committees said that “the Catholic Church has consistently taught that every person is created in the image and likeness of God, and for this reason we consistently uphold the sacred dignity of all human life.”

“The news of the Department of Justice’s moratorium on federal executions is a welcome step,” they continued, “and we must also tirelessly continue to advocate for the abolition of the death penalty from both our state and federal laws as we build a culture of life.”