Letter from America: appeal for Divine Mercy

On Divine Mercy Sunday, I left Mass with a pit in my stomach.

My family and I had gone to a different parish than our own. When the lector read the intercessions, she prayed for people on death row. For a moment, I was deeply moved…until she prayed only that innocent lives be spared from execution. For guilty people, she asked just for their repentance.

I couldn't believe my ears.

When Mass ended, I approached the pastor to introduce myself. I thanked him for the prayer, but shared that what was missing was the very thing we were celebrating that special Sunday: God's Divine Mercy.

The pastor admitted that he himself felt conflicted about the intercession. He had worded it that way to avoid backlash from his parishioners, who might be uncomfortable with the fullness of the Church's anti-death penalty teaching.

His honesty pierced my heart.

On the way home, I thought about the magnitude of work needed to change hearts and minds when it comes to the death penalty, even within our own Church. I thought about states like Oklahoma and Florida, which profess "pro-life values" all while ramping up executions.

A cloud hung over me until two days later, when that same pastor sent me an email. He invited me to come speak to the parish about the Church's anti-death penalty position - not just for the innocent, but for every single child of God.

It was a powerful reminder that when we are committed witnesses to God's Divine Mercy, the Holy Spirit will work through us.

This Easter season, you can demonstrate your anti-death penalty witness by joining CMN's Steward Circle of Monthly Donors. We set a goal of welcoming 50 new monthly donors during the 50 days of Easter - I would be honoured if you were one of them.

On Divine Mercy Sunday, we hear Jesus say to his disciples: "Do not be unbelieving, but believe."

Let us believe He is Risen. Let us believe ending the death penalty is possible. Let us believe we can build a culture of life in his name!

In hope,

Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy,
Executive Director
Catholic Mobilising Network
USA

https://catholicsmobilizing.org/