The Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN) is offering two opportunities for young adults to take action against the death penalty, deepen their commitment to justice, and explore faith-based leadership.
With young people playing a crucial role as decision-makers in the Church and society, CMN aims to amplify their voices through creative expression and hands-on advocacy. Here’s how:
Poetry contest: Win up to $1,000
The Justice & Mercy Poetry Contest for Young Adults invites individuals aged 18-39 to submit original poems that highlight the injustices of capital punishment. The contest offers a top prize of $1,000, encouraging participants to use the power of words to inspire change. The submission deadline is March 20, 2025.
Paid summer internship in Washington, DC
The Congregation of St. Joseph Summer Internship provides a paid opportunity for students aged 19-24 who are currently enrolled in college or graduate school. Interns will work 30 hours per week in CMN’s Washington, DC, office, gaining experience in advocacy, Catholic social teaching, and spiritual leadership formation. Applications for Summer 2025 are due by March 14, 2025.
These opportunities reflect CMN’s mission to end the death penalty, advance justice, and promote healing. If you or a young adult in your life are interested, visit CMN’s website to learn more and apply.
Pope Francis has praised the efforts of Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN) to abolish the practice of capital punishment in the United States. The Pope sent his regards and a message along with Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, to the organization’s Justice Reimagined Awards and Celebration, which was held last October 10, World Day Against the Death Penalty. (See more about what he said in article below.)
What the Catechism says about the death penalty, justice, and mercy
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that human life is sacred and must be protected, even in cases of serious wrongdoing. In 2018, Pope Francis approved a revision to CCC 2267, making clear that the death penalty is “inadmissible” in all cases because it violates the dignity of the person and is no longer necessary for the protection of society.
“Today, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes. In addition, a new understanding has emerged of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state. Lastly, more effective systems of detention have been developed, which ensure the due protection of citizens but, at the same time, do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption.”
This teaching is rooted in the Catholic principles of justice and mercy. Justice demands accountability for wrongdoing, but true justice seeks conversion rather than vengeance. Mercy, as exemplified by Christ, calls for the possibility of repentance and renewal.
St. John Paul II strongly opposed capital punishment, emphasizing that cases where it is necessary “are very rare, if not practically non-existent” (Evangelium Vitae, 56). Pope Francis has continued this stance, calling for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty as a step toward a culture of life.
For Catholics, working against the death penalty is a concrete way to live out the Gospel’s call to respect the dignity of all people — including those who have committed grave crimes.
