Join us in opposing honoring Attorney General William Barr on September 23rd at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast with the Christifideles Laici Award. The award is given for living an exemplary life in following the teachings of Christ and the Church. Mr. Barr is far from Christ-like.
In July, Mr. Barr reinstated the Federal death penalty after a moratorium of seventeen years. Five men have already been executed, with two more executions ordered on the day before and the day after he is to receive this recognition. We urge you to write Archbishop Gomez, the President of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT CATHOLIC, and to the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast asking them to rescind their invitation to the Attorney General as he is wholly unworthy of receiving this recognition.
Here’s how:
- Copy the italicized text below:
I strongly urge the leadership of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) and the leadership of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast to withdraw Mr. Barr’s nomination for the Christifideles Laici Award award as he is wholly unworthy of this recognition. This award is given to a Catholic who has shown outstanding faithfulness to the teachings of Christ and the Church. It is, therefore, unconscionable and scandalous that this recognition be given to William Barr who only two months ago reinstated the Federal death penalty after a seventeen year discontinuance. Five men have been executed and two more are scheduled on September 22nd and September 24th. Attorney General Barr is to receive this award on September 23rd, the day between these two executions. This is abhorrent and inconceivable to imagine.
Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis have condemned the use of the death penalty as wholly immoral, unnecessary and inadmissible. Under the direction of Pope Francis the Catechism of the Catholic Church was revised to state that, “the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.”
Also, in the teaching document of the USCCB on the political responsibility of Catholics entitled, “Forming Conscience for Faithful Citizenship,” the US Bishops state, “our nation’s continued reliance on the death penalty cannot be justified…Because we have other ways to protect society that are more respectful of human life.” To give this award to William Barr is an affront to Catholic belief in the sanctity of human life and a scandal to people of faith and goodwill who look to the Catholic Church for moral guidance.
I urge you, therefore, to withdraw Mr. Barr’s nomination for this award.
2. Create an email to bvelazquez@la-archdiocese.org
a. Paste the copied text into the ‘Message’ box
b. In ‘Subject Title’ write/copy and paste the following text: “The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and the dignity of the person.” – Pope Francis I
c. SEND!
3. Repeat Step 1
4. Follow this link: https://catholicprayerbreakfast.com/contact/
a. Paste the copied text into the ‘Message’ box
b. In ‘Subject Title’ write/copy and paste the following text: “The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and the dignity of the person.” – Pope Francis I
b. Fill in the rest of your information and click ‘Submit’
