Pope Francis Makes Jubilee Year Appeal To End Hunger, Debt Woes and Death Penalty
The pope’s appeal was made for the World Day of Peace, coinciding with the launch of the 2025 Jubilee year.
Faith Leaders, Activists, the Pope Urge Biden To Empty Federal Death Row Before Trump Term
Activists and faith leaders hope to save the lives of 40 federal death row inmates, fearing Donald Trump would authorize an ‘execution spree’ after taking office.
After IDOC Denial, Indiana Death Row Inmate Sues To Allow Spiritual Advisor in Execution Chamber
Monday’s federal lawsuit seeks to overturn the state’s decision not to allow Joseph Corcoran’s minister to be present in the execution chamber — a constitutional right granted by a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Interfaith Advocates Urge Clemency for ‘Death Row Imam’ a Day Before Scheduled Execution
They point to a lack of DNA evidence and racial bias in the conviction of Imam Marcellus 'Khaliifah' Williams, who has maintained his innocence for over two decades.
Lessons From Unsettling Advent
This issue of A Public Witness shares some of the meaningful insights we’ve learned from Unsettling Advent this year on the topics of state executions, political anxieties, and bloodshed in Israel.
Lawsuit: Priest Says First Gas Execution in US Poses Threat to Religious Liberty
The Rev. Jeff Hood, spiritual adviser to Kenneth Smith, argued the restrictions imposed during the execution would violate Hood’s right to the free exercise of religion.
Unsettling Advent 2023, Day 6
Rev. Lauren Bennett reflects on her experience with a state execution this year and how faith requires us to bring softness to hard places while opening ourselves to meet Jesus in unlikely faces.
Unsettling Advent, Day 5
Many things have changed since ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her’ was written, but not who receives the harshest punishments: those with the least social power.
Unsettling Advent 2023, Day 4
Pastor and hospice chaplain Melissa Bowers reminds us that in the long, horrifying legacy of state-sanctioned murder in the United States, a tiny pinprick of light has broken through.
Unsettling Advent 2023, Day 2
Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood reflects on how there is nothing pure about the death penalty process. It ensnares us all. So, where does hope fit in?