IHM Corporate Stance on the use of the Death Penalty

We, the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, declare our opposition to the use of the death penalty. We abhor the violence in our world and our hearts go out to all persons who have been victims of violence. While we recognize the need to protect society from perpetrators of violence, we firmly believe that the inhumane killing of convicted criminals never was and never will be a solution to the complex problems of society.

Our Judeo-Christian tradition teaches us the intrinsic God-given dignity of every human person. We believe that all life is sacred and that it is morally unacceptable for any human being to take the life of another. We believe that the use of the death penalty diminishes the moral quality of our own lives and communities and contributes to the brutal cycle of violence.

We commit ourselves to work for the use of alternate, compassionate, and creative ways to address the effects of violence in the world and to strengthen the moral fabric of society.

Adopted on December 20, 1999