Sir, - With reference to your Editorial of June 25th, there are many here in America who actively oppose capital punishment. Our National Council of Catholic Bishops has written many statements in opposition to capital punishment but has yet to initiate a campaign to educate the people and begin a movement to overturn the laws, state by state, which legitimise the death penalty. In the meantime, dozens of men, mostly African Americans, go to their death by state-sponsored murder.
My own peace groups - Pax Christi USA, the Catholic Workers, Catholics Against Capital Punishment - are working diligently on this very important issue but we get little support from our institutional Catholic Church; a bishop here, a bishop there - alas, they are a wimpy crowd.
In the meantime, we very much appreciate your support. - Yours, etc.,
Mary McDonough Harren, Pax Christi, Wichita, Kansas, USA.