Our Gospel commitment calls us to see beyond the worst thing a person has done and to keep open the possibility of change. We pray for systems of justice that make room for accountability and healing rather than vengeance. A society that values the dignity of every human being must reject the death penalty and the public display of executions, including those carried out by firing squad.
As Dominicans dedicated to preaching the Gospel, the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids are called to speak truth in the face of violence and injustices that violate the dignity of every person.
We join with Catholic Sisters across the United States and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in affirming the inherent dignity of human life and the call to nonviolence in word and action. We oppose the use of livestreaming and social media to share the execution of any human being. These public displays turn a person’s death into a spectacle and, in the words of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, are “a barbaric promotion of a culture of death.”
In its statement on the dignity of human life and nonviolence, LCWR reminds us of the importance of upholding human dignity, even in the face of wrongdoing. As people of faith, we believe in forgiveness and the possibility of change. Forgiveness does not mean ignoring harm or diminishing the suffering of victims and their families. Rather, it calls us to leave space for healing, repair, and restored relationships. Our prayers also accompany the victims of crimes and their families, as well as the accused and their families, who are also affected by the pain and suffering caused by violence.
This commitment reflects our own longstanding congregational position. In 2001, the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids adopted a Corporate Stance Against the Death Penalty. Through this stance, we commit ourselves to public witness, collaboration, education, and prayer in opposition to capital punishment.
In 2018, Pope Francis revised the Catechism of the Catholic Church to affirm that the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the dignity of the human person.
In October 2026, Pope Leo XIV stated: “The common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment. Effective systems of detention have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption.”
“Keeping open the possibility of restored relationship should replace the present punitive and oppressive criminal justice system. So, so many are living impoverished, imprisoned lives in this nation. [We] pray that people come to value the preciousness and sanctity of human life for all.”
Sister Ardeth Platte, OP, Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids
Our Gospel commitment calls us to see beyond the worst thing a person has done and to keep open the possibility of change. We pray for systems of justice that make room for accountability and healing rather than vengeance. A society that values the dignity of every human being must reject the death penalty and the public display of executions, including those carried out by firing squad.
