|
Catholics Mobilize to End the Death Penalty
Vatican News reports on the Catholic Mobilizing Network’s call for U.S. Catholics to uphold the Church’s teaching on human dignity by working to end the death penalty and promote restorative justice. The article notes that 47 men and women were executed in the United States in 2025, more than double the average number of executions over the previous decade, while 23 states have abolished capital punishment. Rooted in the Catechism’s teaching that the death penalty is inadmissible because it attacks the inviolability and dignity of the person, this piece offers a clear JPIC connection between respect for life, mercy, accountability, and healing-centered responses to harm.
Read more here.
Migration Calls Christians to Reread the Gospel
Reflecting on his weeklong apostolic journey to Spain, Pope Leo XIV said the Canary Islands gave him a clear view of migration’s complexity and of the Christian path toward a “civilization of love.” He said migration requires organic and coordinated action plans, while also challenging Christians to reread the Gospel today through cultural exchange and the fruits of Christ’s message. His reflection is a timely reminder that Catholic response to migration must move beyond indifference and toward accompaniment, protection, and the recognition of Christ in those on the move.
Read more here.
A Call to Repentance for Human Traffickers
At a June 12 meeting in Tenerife with migrants and organizations that help migrants integrate into society, Pope Leo XIV strongly condemned human traffickers and those who exploit vulnerable people. He called on those who organize “death routes,” exploit workers, threaten women, deceive families, and turn suffering into business to stop, repent, free those held in bondage, return what has been taken, and make amends. For JPIC ministry, this message holds together mercy and justice: the Church stands with migrants while naming the systems and profiteers that exploit desperation and endanger human life.
Read more here.
Indigenous and Church Leaders Gather on the Doctrine of Discovery
OSV News reports that Indigenous leaders and scholars joined Catholic bishops and scholars in Edmonton, Alberta, May 26-29 for a knowledge-sharing symposium on the “Doctrine of Discovery” and its enduring negative impact on Indigenous peoples, especially in North America. The gathering built on the Vatican’s 2023 statement repudiating concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, while participants discussed self-governance, traditional territories, land loss, residential schools, and the ongoing use of the doctrine to deny Indigenous rights and sovereignty. For JPIC communities, this story is a vital reminder that reconciliation requires truth-telling, education, respect for Indigenous rights, protection of land and water, and sustained work toward right relationships and justice.
Read more here.
| 
