Office for Social Ministrye-link
The Diocese of San Diego
858-490-8323
#13
10/15/03
Dear OSM e-link member,
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Thanks, and God Bless!
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
OSM e-link - Bulletin #13
Table of Contents:
Comments following message in bulletin #9 by Kent Peters
Key Upcoming Gatherings (please join us if at all
possible)
- Banquet at the Pastoral Center honoring Bud Welch -
Thursday, November 6
- Rally in support of striking grocery workers set for Thursday,
October 16, 4:00 p.m.
- Border Pilgrimage (October 26) - USD Border Conference (October
20-24)
Updates from the Office for Social Ministry
- Forum on the Death Penalty
Advocacy Feedback
- Greater numbers reporting back - Thank You
All!
Advocacy Request
- Living Wage to be heard by City Council
Rules Committee, Tuesday, November 5th
Web and e-mail-based Resources
- Link to the Women Deserve
Better Web Site
Article/Statement for September 30, 2003
- Article from 2003 Respect-Life Packet on
the Death Penalty, Maureen Kramlich, Esq.
Remarks from Kent Peters
The media elite have been on a campaign to demonize pro-life activism since the beginning of the pro-life movement in the early 70's, identifying respected pro-life citizens and their legitimate activities with fanatical extremists. Just ask a typical parishioner if he or she would want to be labeled a pro-life activist or a member of the pro-life movement. You might hear a response something like, “Oh no, the violence of those people is frightening. They’re clinic bombers; they harass poor women; they shoot doctors; we’ve seen them confronting good people, including children, with graphic pictures of dead babies; I’m not one of them.” Of course they’re not; only a handful of people are. It’s unfortunate, but the media has successfully created the impression that anyone who focuses energy directly on serving potential victims of abortion, mother or child, is one with those who use violence and intimidation. How have they accomplished this? By ignoring the good works of the pro-life community and highlighting the violent acts of the extremists. In fact, this media distortion misrepresents about 99.9% of the pro-life activist in any U.S. community, those who are motivated by love and who serve the community with nothing but kindness. And, if the Catholic community has been drawn into believing this distortion, think of how much more so would be communities that rarely, if ever, deal with life issues at an institutional level. We surely have our work cut out for us.
In dioceses where there is a division between life and dignity, those who focus on life issues are highly segregated and thus remain invisible to other activists who work for justice in the community. This plays right into the hands of the media smear campaign. I have heard a thousand times from justice folks the comment, "Pro-lifers only care about the unborn and will drop both mother and child the minute the baby is delivered." This response is understandable. It springs from what they just don't see. Who can blame them for that belief? But we know better.
Given the unified structure our diocese attempts to emulate, both at the diocesan and parish levels, those who focus on life issues are also seen working on issues like immigration, debt reduction in the developing world, domestic abuse, housing and health care reform, AIDS ministry, detention ministry, and the like. What happens in the mind of a labor or immigration activist who may be weary of life issues when they work hand in hand with a life activist? They confront the truth. Through camaraderie, they learn that life is a justice issue, the preeminent justice issue. There is also a chance for real transformation in the heart of non-life activists, not to mention what trust-building between the two will do. It's hard to buy into the media distortion when reality displays a reverse screen.
To break the media's stronghold that perpetuates this grossly false perception of the pro-life community, we must swell the numbers of those who will both stand up for life and stand up for those whose dignity has been compromised by policies and structures that hinder the common good. One person at a time, as we witness to the value of human life and work for the common good, hearts will be changed, and if enough hearts are changed, we will ultimately change the whole culture. It has never worked otherwise. Let me share one final thought related to a well-rounded public witness within the larger community.
A pet peeve (or should I say a heart felt and deep criticism) that I harbor emerges when I encounter Catholic "justice" lobbying organizations that “take no position on life issues.” As they publicly work on immigration, social programs, third world debt, etc., they say nothing about the plight of the unborn or others threatened with death. There are more than a few out there. As they distance themselves from the premiere justice issue, life, and those who labor on its behalf, they become unwitting allies of the media distorters, fueling the myth that reasonable people should steer clear of those seeking protection for human life. What could possibly motivate a Roman Catholic to behave in such a counter productive manner, ignoring millions of lost lives, both past, present, and future, working in isolation on issues that diminish human dignity? Whatever it is, it can't be more important than the nurturing of the whole of God's created order and the call to serve life wherever it is threatened. Thanks for listening.
San Diego, Pray for us.
Our Lady of Refuge, Pray for us.
5 Key
Culture-of-Life Gatherings
Number 1:
Banquet in Honor of Bud Welch, Thursday, November 6, at 6:30 p.m. at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego - $25 for each dinner reservation. To receive reservation materials call Jo Brower at 858-490-8323 or e-mail Jo at jbrower@diocese-sdiego.org. Sponsored by California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty (CPF) and the Office for Social Ministry.
On April 19, 1995 at 9:02 a.m., Bud Welch's life changed forever (see photo
of Bud at left). Bud's beloved daughter Julie was killed along with 167
others in the bomb blast that destroyed the Murrah Federal Building in
Oklahoma City. Julie was the light of her father's life. Every Wednesday
they met for lunch at 11:30 a.m. at the Greek restaurant across from the
federal building. They were to have lunch the day of her death. The pain
following Julie's death was nearly unbearable and for the first few months,
rage and desire for revenge consumed Bud. A trial for Tim McVeigh, he
thought, was simply unnecessary. Bud wanted an immediate execution and
believed he could have done it himself with his bare hands.
But in time, Bud began to realize that his rage was getting
him nowhere, and eventually it became clear that an execution would not help
him emotionally. It would not bring Julie (see photo of
Julie
at left) back and could never bring "closure," a media word that Bud found
meaningless when it came to the loss of a child. Raised on an Oklahoma
dairy farm, Bud and his family had always opposed the death penalty, and
after Julie's death, he particularly remembered her words to him one time
when they were listening to a radio report about an excecution in Texas.
Julie commented that the excecutions were only, "teaching children to hate."
About eight months after Julie's death, a reporter approached Bud during one of his daily visits to the fence surrounding the footprint of the Murrah Building. After a lengthy conversation, the reporter commented to Bud that he would probably be relieved once Tim McVeigh was executed. Bud amazed her by stating that the execution was not what he desired. She asked if she could quote him and he agreed not knowing that her AP wire story would evenutally be carried around the world. Bud's life was changed forever, again.
Bud has shared his story with groups all over the world, reaching hundreds of thousands with a message of hope and reconciliation. We are pleased to honor Bud with CPF's first Pillars of Faith Award.
Won't you join us to both honor and hear Bud Welch. Call 858-490-8323 to receive an invitation or e-mail Jo Brower at jbrower@diocese-sdiego.org.
Number 2:
Rally in support of striking grocery workers set for Thursday, October 16, 4:00 p.m. at the VONS at 3550 Murphy Canyon Road. The store is located off of Aero Drive, just west of Interstate 15. Sponsored by the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice
Our Friends at Vons
Not everyone in the community supports this strike, but for those who do, join us to give workers a boost. To see why workers believe that company takeaways are wrong at this time, when retail grocery profits have been rising for years, go to the web site below and click on Human Need Vs. Corporate Greed -- Facts and Figures:
http://www.ufcw.org/press_room/index.cfm?pressReleaseID=47
Grocery retailers talk of future declining profits. The information at the UFCW web site tells a different story. Please join us this Thursday at 4:00 p.m. at the Vons on 3550 Murphy Canyon Road (Just North of Frys Electronics).
Number 3:
Border Pilgrimage from San Diego to El Paso, October 26 to November 2, San Diego Send-Off on October 26 at Larson Field Park, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Also... Five-day Border Conference at USD, October 20 to 24. See both events below.
A pilgrimage is a journey. It symbolizes the great march of the people of God into the everlasting reign of God. We believe that a spiritual pilgrimage is much more than a tourist trip. Pope John Paul II has said that the key reason to go on a pilgrimage is to encounter Jesus Christ in some way. And so this October people of faith will embark on a pilgrimage along the border. One in which the encounter is with the migrant Jesus. Over 2300 people have died crossing the border since 1994. Why? What are some of the causes of their migration? If you would like to participate for all or part of the pilgrimage check out the following link:
Click on the logo below or follow the web address below to learn more about the Pilgrimage.
The pilgrims will set out from San Diego, CA & Brownsville, TX respectively, & journey through various towns along the border. They'll participate in events planned for them by the communities along the route. The two groups will arrive in El Paso for a series of bi-national workshops & cultural events on Oct. 31 & Nov. 1st. The celebrations will conclude on Nov. 2nd, All Soul's Day, by joining with the El Paso community in their traditional mass on the border commemorating the "Day of the Dead."
http://www.sandiegomissionoffice.org/destination/Pilgrimage/Pilgrimage.htm
University of San Diego and Church Without Borders will sponsor a five-day series of events on the US/Mexico Border from October 20 through October 24, 2003 at USD. Click on the Logo below or follow the web link below to learn more.
http://www.sandiego.edu/csl/snl.html
Prompted by the US and Mexican bishops’ pastoral letter on migration, “Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope,” the University of San Diego presents a week of events that will focus on migration issues at the San Diego-Tijuana Border. The scheduled activities will precede an ecumenical Border Pilgrimage sponsored by over 15 interfaith organizations nationwide which will take place October 26 – November 2.
Short Reports on OSM Related Issues/Events
October 4th Public Forum on the Death Penalty presentations wow audience.
Fr.
Bruce Bramlett (right), participates in a panel discussion with Jeff
Ghelardi and Carol Dunkenson. Participants agreed that the forum met the
needs of those who struggle with the death penalty as well as those who
oppose it.
Many thanks go out to Pilar Placone, Ph. D. and her husband, Frank, for their leadership on this project. Those who attended the Forum will want to meet Bud Welch in November. Please see Culture-of-Life Gatherings #1 above.
Web and Resources and Opportunities
In this issue we highlight the web site www.womendeservebetter.org. This nation-wide effort, the Women Deserve Better Campaign, is attracting the attention of many who have historically turned a blind eye to the abortion issue. Locally, the Life Resource Network represents the campaign. Please tour this wonderful web resource. Link above or the logo below.
E-link Advocacy Report
Last issue we reported that about 1% of members reported back after participating in the proposed advocacy. This time 2% reported back on voting, 10 out of 500. That's quite an increase. To reach the 75% we have set for this program, however, will take some time. Please remember to report back after following through on the advocacy request. Thanks so much. The new request follows...
E-link Advocacy Request
Please don't forget to report back to the OSM at reportback@diocese-sdiego.org. Your reflection on the San Diego City Council Rules Committee meeting would be much appreciated.
Normally we ask participants to make phone calls to legislators and policy makers, but with this request we have an historic opportunity to make our presence felt at city hall. The Living Wage Ordinance is set to be heard by the San Diego City Council Rules Committee on Tuesday, November 5 at 9:00 a.m. at City Hall, at 3rd Ave. and C Street. We need to be there!
To see the ordinance go to a Living Wage Ordinance web site:
We hope to see you on November 5th
at City Hall!
Watch for a new OSM e-link bulletin around November 5, 2003
Article or Statement for Bulletin #13
Following you will find an excellent article on the death penalty by Maureen Kramlich, Esq. This article is another of the nine articles found in this year's October Respect Life Month 2003 packet. See e-link bulletin #12 at www.osmelink.org for a link to the USCCB web site where the other eight articles can be found.
We Forgive Those Who
Trespass Against Usby Maureen Kramlich, Esq.
Perhaps the most poignant moment in
the book Dead Man Walking -- a moment not shown in the film -- is
Lloyd LeBlanc's recollection of the day he identified the murdered body of
his son. The author, Sr. Helen Prejean, recounts:
[When] he arrived with the sheriff's deputies there in the cane field to identify his son, he knelt by his boy - "laying down there with his two little eyes sticking out like bullets" - and prayed the Our Father. And when he came to the words: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us," he had not halted or equivocated, and he said, "Whoever did this, I forgive them."
The book — which is the basis for a film, a play and, most recently an
opera — is largely an account of Sr. Prejean's ministry to death row
prisoners. LeBlanc's story is not a prominent one in Dead Man Walking but it
may be the most riveting one.
While his initial response to the brutal murder of his son, and the rape and
murder of his son's girlfriend, was forgiveness, he faced an ongoing
struggle to live that forgiveness. He rose to speak at the murderer's
clemency hearing to urge that a death sentence be carried out. But shortly
thereafter he went to confession. Though he tried to avoid doing so, he
attended the execution. There his son's killer, Patrick Sonnier, apologized
to him and asked for his forgiveness. LeBlanc nodded in assent. Years after
the execution, LeBlanc is providing financial support to Sr. Prejean's
ministry to death row prisoners, whom he calls 'God's children.' He attends
Eucharistic adoration weekly, and he is praying for the Sonnier family. He
comforted Patrick Sonnier's mother on her death bed.
The stories of the loved ones of murder victims are too often untold. The
stories of family members of victims who advocate against the death penalty
are rarer still. Two of these inspiring stories follow.
A Father's Story
Julie Welch, a recent Marquette University graduate gifted in foreign
languages served as a translator for the Social Security Administration at
the Alfred E. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. On April 19, 1995
she attended morning Mass before heading for work. At 9:02 AM, she greeted
her first clients. Then a bomb reduced the building to rubble. She, along
with 167 others, was killed that day.
After Julie's death, her father Bud Welch, turned to drinking and smoking to
ease the pain of her loss. Every day, Mr. Welch paced the chain-linked fence
that ran along the perimeter of the bombing site.
Mr. Welch had always opposed the death penalty but he noted acquaintances
would say, "if it ever happens to you, you will change your mind." When it
happened to him, he did change his mind. He recalls, "the first month or so
after the bombing, after Terry Nichols and Tim McVeigh were arrested and
charged, I didn't even want trials for either of them, I wanted them fried."
And then one morning he was standing under an elm tree at the site of the
destruction, watching mourners walk along the fence. His head was hurting
from drinking the night before, but he began probing his mind with three
questions: "Do you need trials to begin now? Do you need convictions? Do you
need executions?"
Reflecting on this last question, he remembered a conversation he had with
Julie during a road-trip home from Marquette. A news report on the radio
announced that the state of Texas had carried out an execution the previous
night. Julie had turned to her father and said, "Dad, that makes me sick
what they are doing down in Texas. All they are doing is teaching hate to
their children and it has no social redeeming value." Recalling this
statement, Mr. Welch was immediately struck, realizing that it would be
wrong to execute Nichols and McVeigh. He said, "the day that we might kill
either one of them would be a day of vengeance and rage, and vengeance and
rage is exactly why Julie and 167 others are dead." In his mind, then, the
question was answered. No, he did not want executions.
Shortly thereafter Mr. Welch stopped drinking. He became an eloquent
spokesman against the death penalty. Through his speaking engagements, he
derives great comfort in sharing stories about Julie's life, her compassion,
her contributions.
One speaking engagement brought him to Buffalo, New York, near the area
where Timothy McVeigh grew up and where his father and sister still lived.
Mr. Welch recalled one evening, watching the news, and a reporter attempted
to interview Mr. McVeigh. Mr. McVeigh avoided the reporter's questions and
only once looked at the camera. Mr. Welch saw an undeniable grief in Mr.
McVeigh's eyes. He recognized that grief because he was living it. At that
moment Mr. Welch knew he wanted to meet Mr. McVeigh.
The meeting between Mr. Welch and Mr. McVeigh was awkward. But they found
common ground as Catholics of Irish descent. The two talked in the McVeigh
kitchen. Jennifer McVeigh, Timothy McVeigh's sister, joined them. Mr. Welch
caught himself glancing very self-consciously, above the table at an 8"x10"
high school photo of Timothy McVeigh. Finally he said, "God, what a
good-looking kid." A tear rolled down Mr. McVeigh's face.
At the end of the meeting Mr. Welch offered his hand to Mr. McVeigh and to
Jennifer. Jennifer hugged him and began sobbing. Mr. Welch looked at her and
said, "Honey, look, the three of us are in this for the rest of our lives.
We can make the most of it if we choose. I don't want your brother to die
and I will do everything I can to prevent it."
Timothy McVeigh was executed on June 11, 2001. Mr. Welch condemned the
execution. Today, he regularly keeps in touch with Mr. McVeigh.
A Mother's Story
Brian Muha had just completed his freshman year at Franciscan University in
Steubenville, Ohio. He was bright, athletic, and faithful - an all-American
kid. At the end of the semester he returned home, but the stay was brief
because he planned to attend summer classes at Franciscan. Before returning
to school, he arranged to send roses to his mother. Mrs. Muha received them
the day after he left and called to thank him. He wasn't home. Later that
afternoon, the police informed the Muha family that Brian and his friend
Aaron were missing. A search team began looking for the boys. After nearly a
week, the bloodied bodies of Brian and Aaron were found ' on a hill under a
canopy of wild roses. Three suspects were arrested.
During that week when Brian's status went from 'missing' to murdered, Mrs.
Muha relied on prayer. Her prayer was the Lord's Prayer. And she prayed it
deliberately, reflectively, asking herself, challenging herself, "Can I pray
this? What is this forgiveness that God wants?"
She forgave his killers. Even after she learned that the three men decided
to murder her son for the 'thrill' of it and later bragged about it. Even
after she learned that Brian was kidnapped, beaten with a gun, and forced to
march up a hill to his death. Even after she learned that he was tormented
and killed 'execution-style.' Even after she had to relive those horrific
details while attending two trials. And even though the murderers were and
remain unrepentant.
"To forgive someone," she says, "does not mean to excuse them. It doesn't
mean that you are saying that what they did is okay. ... It doesn't mean
that you understand, or that they had good reason for their actions. It
doesn't mean you are saying they shouldn't be punished. It means giving up
anger, hatred, revenge, and bitterness towards someone who has hurt you. It
means to have good will, to want what is best for that person and to help
them get it. What is ultimately best for everyone is Heaven. Do what you can
for those who have hurt you so that they can get to Heaven."
Mrs. Muha prays unceasingly for the conversion of her son's killers. She
calls them her brothers. "They are my brothers and yours," she says,
"because we are all children of the same Heavenly Father."
Mrs. Muha has gone further than praying for these men. She has advocated for
them. She specifically requested that they not be executed although one was
sentenced to death. And she speaks against the death penalty: "There is only
one reason not to use the death penalty and I think that reason will prevail
in the end. The reason is that each one of us was created. That means we
belong to Someone - with a capital S - and that Someone has rights over our
lives."
Mrs. Muha emphasizes that by rejecting the death penalty, she does not
reject justice or punishment. Rather, by rejecting the death penalty, she
embraces life. "We need to be radical witnesses for life," she says,
"including very guilty life so that we can turn the tide toward a culture of
life."
And she has provided just that sort of radical witness, honoring life, not
with a call for vengeance, but with charitable deeds and hope. Mrs. Muha
founded a scholarship in Brian's memory. The funds are available to
inner-city youth from Pittsburgh, Steubenville and Columbus (Ohio), because
Brian was from Columbus and the men who killed him are from Pittsburgh and
Steubenville. She has also established a foundation to help fund various
projects for inner-city youth. She purchased the home from which Brian and
Aaron were kidnapped and converted it into an apartment for clergy and
religious who cannot afford housing while studying at Franciscan. She asks
those who stay there to pray for the men who killed Brian and Aaron.
A Brother's Response
Mrs. Muha's son Chris also embraced forgiveness for his brother's murderers.
At the sentencing phase of the trial, Chris offered his forgiveness to the
murderers in these poignant, faith-filled words: "I offer my forgiveness to
you. I forgive you, not because you had a rough childhood, for that is not
an excuse. I forgive you, not because you were depressed, because that is
not an excuse. I forgive you because I have been forgiven. And I want so
much to believe that you are truly sorry for what you have done."
The Church and the Death Penalty
Mrs. Muha's faith gave her the strength to forgive. Her reflection on the
teachings of the Church, especially as articulated by Pope John Paul II,
compels her to oppose the death penalty.
The Church's teaching on the death penalty has been subject to
misunderstanding since the 1995 publication of Pope John Paul II's
encyclical The Gospel of Life and the subsequent revisions to the Catechism
made in light of this encyclical. In the Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II
explains:
It is clear that … the nature and extent of the punishment must be carefully evaluated and decided upon, and ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity: in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today however, as a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent. (No. 56).
The Catechism now reflects this teaching (No. 2267).
The Church has deepened her understanding of the teaching on the death
penalty, to make clear that the only morally appropriate use of the death
penalty is defensive use. And she has taken account of the fact that such
defense of the innocent can be in most all circumstances achieved today in
ways that involve no taking of human life.
Today, the Holy See seeks worldwide abolition of the death penalty. The Holy
Father himself has intervened in several American cases to ask for clemency.
And the bishops, as a conference and individually, have been active and
vigorous in calling for abolition of the death penalty.
Conclusion
It is too easy to present the question of capital punishment in the form of
"us vs. them," as a conflict between innocent victims of murder and their
attackers. At times the most eloquent and sincere opponents of the death
penalty are those who have suffered the most at the hands of violent
criminals. They urge us to look beyond the instinct for vengeance, to the
infinitely loving God whose children we all are. In the end, the defining
issue is not how wicked the criminal's actions are, but how we should
respond if we are to become a society that more fully reveres and respects
human life.
Maureen Kramlich, Esq. is public policy analyst for the Secretariat for
Pro-Life Activities at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Program Models
Encourage parishioners, friends and neighbors to sign a 'Declaration of
Life.' Produced by Pax Christi USA, the Declaration states that if the
signatory dies as a result of a violent crime, the death penalty not be
sought against their attackers. For more information, see
www.paxchristiusa.org.
Organize a ministry to parishioners who are victims of violence. For victims
who must be part of a trial, the ministry could provide support by
accompanying them to court, babysitting for their children, and making
home-cooked meals. At other times, the ministry could write letters or send
cards to family members and close friends on the birthday and the
anniversary of a loved one's violent death, as well as on All Souls Day.
Remember victims in liturgy. Pray for victims of violence and their families
during the Prayers of Faithful. Hold a liturgy to remember victims of
violence. Provide space in the parish for a memorial and a kneeler for
prayer. This space might include candles, a memorial book and small photos
of loved ones. This event might be held during National Victims Week in
April.
Resources
Teaching Documents
The Gospel of Life. Pope John Paul II, 1995. Washington, D.C.: USCCB.
(English and Spanish, $9.95).
A Good Friday Appeal to End the Death Penalty. NCCB. Washington,
D.C.: USCCB (English and Spanish, 25/$10).
Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective
on Crime and Criminal Justice. NCCB, 2000. Washington, D.C.: USCCB
(English and Spanish, $5.95).
Statement on Capital Punishment. United States Catholic Conference,
1980. Washington, D.C.: USCCB ($2.50).
Additional Print Resources
Against Capital Punishment: The Anti-Death Penalty Movement in America,
1972-1994. Herbert H. Haines. Cary, N.C.: Oxford University Press, 1996
($19.95).
Against the Death Penalty: Christian and Secular Arguments Against the
Death Penalty. Mark Constanzo. Scottsdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1997
($14.99).
CACP News Notes. Bimonthly
newsletter. Catholics Against Capital Punishment. Arlington, Va. (free).
Catholics and Capital Punishment: The Morality of Capital Punishment
According to Church Teaching. Augustine Judd, O.P. New Haven, Conn.:
Knights of Columbus Catholic Information Service, 1998.
Capital Punishment in the United States: A Documentary History. Bryan
Vila and Cynthia Morris (eds). Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1997
($49.95).
Choosing Mercy: A Mother of Murder Victims Pleads to End the Death
Penalty. Antoinette Bosco. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 2001 ($17).
Dead Men Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the
United States. Sr. Helen Prejean. New York: Random House, 1993 ($13).
The Death Penalty: An Historical and Theological Survey. James J.
Megivern. Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist Press, 1997 ($29.95).
The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies. Hugo Adam Bedau,
(ed). New York: Oxford University Press, 1998 ($21.50).
The Killing State: Capital Punishment in Law, Politics, and Culture.
Austin Sarat (ed). Port Chester, N.Y.: Cambridge University Press, 1998
($39.95).
Audiovisual
Talking About the Death Penalty. 10-min. video. Diocese of Fort
Wayne-South Bend, Family Life Office, 1999 ($5).
Internet
USCCB
Catholics Against Capital Punishment
www.cacp.org
Death Penalty Information Center
http://deathpenaltyinfo.org
Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation
www.mvfr.org
__________________________
Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3070