Catholics and capital punishment: Do Pope Francis’s teachings matter in policy preferences?

In the United States, Catholics make up more than 50 million members of adult population, or about one in five Americans. It is unclear whether their religious affiliation shapes Catholics’ views on public policy issues, ranging from legality abortion to criminal justice practices. Capital punishment especially salient, given that Pope Francis announced 2018—as official Catholic Church teaching—that death penalty “inadmissible” under all circumstances. Based two national surveys, current project explores support for state executions before (2017) and after (2019) Pope’s momentous change church’s Catechism. At present, little evidence exists Francis’s doctrinal reform has impacted Catholics, a majority whom—like Americans generally—continue favor murderers. Data our additional 2020 MTurk survey show only 17.0% respondents could correctly identify Church’s position capital punishment. Despite these results, teachings provide leaders activists with compelling rationale opposing holding officials accountable espousing offenders’ execution. Further, next generation instruction inadmissibility punishment, as part consistent ethic life, will be integral training.