The Catholic tradition “offers a unique perspective on crime and punishment, one grounded in mercy and healing, not punishment for its own sake”, two American bishops have said in a statement renewing the Church’s push to end the death penalty. “No matter how heinous the crime, if society can protect itself without ending a human life, it should do so. Today, we have this capability,” wrote Cardinal Seán O’Malley of Boston and Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami. The two prelates are the chairmen, respectively, of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ committee on pro-life activities and the committee on domestic justice and human development. The message, released last week, commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty, with its accompanying slogan “A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death”. The US bishops, who have long campaigned against capital punishment, launched the ongoing initiative in 2005. It asks people to pray for victims of crime and their families and to reach out to support them. It also calls for educating people about Church teaching on the death penalty and criminal justice; working for legislation to end capital punishment; and changing the debate in favour of defending life. In November 2005, the bishops approved the statement on the death penalty calling on society to “reject the tragic illusion that we can demonstrate respect for life by taking life”. It built on the 1980 statement by the bishops that called for the abolition of capital punishment.