Bishop Carl A. Kemme of the Diocese of Wichita has issued a statement to local Catholics addressing the Church’s position on the death penalty. In his message, Bishop Kemme emphasized the Church’s longstanding teaching on the sanctity of human life, stating that this principle applies from conception until natural death.

“The Church has always proclaimed the sacredness of every human life, from conception to natural death. This conviction flows from the truth that each person is created in the image and likeness of God and endowed with an inviolable dignity that no sin, crime, or circumstance can erase,” Bishop Kemme wrote.

He referenced recent developments in Catholic teaching, noting: “The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible, because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person’ (CCC 2267). This development in Church teaching, reaffirmed by Pope Francis, calls us to reflect more deeply on the meaning of justice, mercy, and the consistent defense of life.”

Bishop Kemme acknowledged both victims and perpetrators of violent crime: “Our opposition to the death penalty does not overlook the horror of violent crime or the suffering of victims and their families. Justice demands accountability. Yet mercy, grounded in the gospel, demands that we never abandon hope for repentance or redemption. We are called to build a society where even those who have done great harm are not denied the chance for conversion and reconciliation with God.”

He also addressed concerns about fairness in capital punishment: “Moreover, the application of capital punishment often reveals human error and inequality. Studies have shown that it disproportionately affects the poor, the mentally ill, and those without adequate legal defense. Such realities only deepen the moral concern for a practice that ends a life when other means exist to protect society, such as life imprisonment without parole.”

Bishop Kemme concluded by inviting prayer for all affected by violence: “In the face of evil, our faith reminds us that violence cannot be healed by more violence. The cross of Christ stands as the ultimate sign that God’s justice is inseparable from his mercy. In choosing life, we choose to mirror that divine mercy, to uphold the dignity of every person, even the condemned.

I invite all the faithful of the Diocese of Wichita to pray especially for victims of violence, for their families, and even for those on death row. May our prayers, words, and actions always bear witness to the Gospel of Life and to the hope that every heart can be transformed by the grace of God.”