Indiana Catholic Conference

Habemus Papam! God bless Leo XIV!

Pope Leo XIV Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, the Chicago-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, was elected the 267th pope May 8 and took the name Pope Leo XIV. He is the first North American to be elected pope and, before the conclave, was the U.S. cardinal most mentioned as a potential successor of St. Peter. Pope Leo was born Sept. 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the Augustinian-run Villanova University in Pennsylvania and joined the order in 1977, making his solemn vows in 1981. He holds a degree in theology from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985 and largely worked in the country until 1999 when he was elected head of the Augustinians' Chicago-based province. From 2001 to 2013, he served as prior general of the worldwide order. In 2014, Pope Francis named him bishop of Chiclayo, in northern Peru, and the pope asked him also to be apostolic administrator of Callao, Peru, from April 2020 to May 2021. The new pope speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese and can read Latin and German.

We're extremely grateful for Representative Morris' bill and are hopeful that the coming legislative session will see action against the use of capital punishment in Indiana.

🚨BREAKING: Indiana state representative Bob Morris announced that he will file legislation to end Indiana's death penalty. In a letter to Gov. Eric Holcomb, Morris said, "Over the course of the past several months, but especially over the past several weeks, I have been praying about this and I have been reading discourses from church leaders, historic figures, and philosophers. The recent Supreme Court decision to return the matter of abortion to each state and Indiana’s Special Session thereafter resulted in tremendous upheaval in my heart regarding the value of every human life. My view of this issue is driven by my faith. I believe only one position honors our Lord and Savior, our Creator: to protect all human life."

Read the full letter here: todayscatholic.org/representative-makes-position-known-regarding-death-penalty/

With Indiana’s first state ex*****on in 15 years scheduled for Dec. 18, the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) is already working to promote legislation for the 2025 General Assembly—set to begin on Jan. 8—that would eradicate the death penalty in Indiana.

Indiana Rep. Bob Morris (District 84) “will file a full death penalty repeal bill that will have the option of life without parole,” says Alexander Mingus, executive director of the ICC, which serves as the public policy voice for the Church in Indiana. Morris, a Catholic, designed the bill to adhere to Church teaching, which opposes the death penalty.

Read more: https://www.archindy.org/criterion/local/2024/12-06/deathpenalty.html

Indiana Catholic Conference

In response to Indiana's recent decision to once again pursue the death penalty, the Bishops of Indiana have released the following statement:
https://www.indianacc.org/news/indiana-catholic-conference-opposes-the-resumption-of-state-ex*****ons

The Bishops of Indiana reiterate the Church's teaching against the death penalty, particularly against its use in a society that can adequately prevent criminals from harming the social order after incarceration.

The Bishops ask the Attorney General to "rescind the motion asking the Indiana Supreme Court to set an ex*****on date for Joseph Corcoran".

The Bishops ask the Indiana General Assembly to "legislatively repeal the use of the death penalty in Indiana".

Finally, the Bishops ask the Governor to "remove plans to include a death chamber in the new state prison under construction in Westville, IN".

Indiana Catholic Conference Opposes the Resumption of State Executions — Indiana Catholic Conference July 8, 2024 On behalf of the five Catholic dioceses in the state of Indiana, the Indiana Catholic Conference is strongly opposed to the decision to seek the resumption of ex*****ons in Indiana as recently announced by the Indiana Governor and Attorney General. 

When Alexander Mingus becomes the new leader of the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) next month, 2,000 years of Catholic social teaching will be embodied in a 28-year-old with a deep love for the Church and a gift for bringing its message to the public sphere.

Mingus has had four years to prepare for the role of serving as head of the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Indiana, working directly with Angela Espada, who has served as executive director of the ICC since 2019 and plans to retire at the end of July.

Read more here: https://www.archindy.org/criterion/local/2024/06-21/icc.html

Indiana Catholic Conference