Catholic Diocese of Boise Speaks Out Against Idaho Death Penalty

In a statement released by Peter Christiansen, Bishop of the Diocese of Boise, the Catholic Church in Idaho opposes the death penalty--which is particularly relevant this week.

On Wednesday, February 28th, the execution of Thomas Creech will take place here in Idaho, where the death penalty is legal. It will be the first execution in nearly 12 years to take place in Idaho and will be implemented by lethal injection.

Creech has admitted to killing at least 26 people. Declarations in support of Creech's request for clemency were submitted by a former prison nurse, a former prosecutor, prison guards and the very judge who sentenced Creech to death.  Clemency was denied in late January by the Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole.

The Diocese of Boise, which encompasses the entire State of Idaho, is led by Bishop Peter Christiansen who, among other things, included the following in his statement:

As Christians, we are called to oppose the culture of death by witnessing to the Gospel of life. Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy (Mt 5:7). In the light of the Gospel of mercy and hope, our response to the death penalty is not based on who Thomas Creech is, but rather on who we are in Christ.

In other portions of the release, the Bishop cited various documents from the Church, stating that most recently, in 2018, Pope Francis revised the Church's Catechism, making the death penalty practically inadmissible.

Faithful may also remember Pope Francis' visit to the United States in 2015, during which he address United States Congress and pushed for the abolishment of the death penalty on the grounds that it simply is not "pro-life".

Bishop Christiansen told Idahoans that for some Catholics, opposing the death penalty "continues to be the most difficult aspect of the Church's pro-life stance".

Records in the State of Idaho's lobbyist database indicate that the Diocese of Boise is active among various political interests. In 2023, the Diocese lobbied on issues involving abortion, gender, and public education.

The State of Idaho legalized the firing squad in 2023-- despite indicating 'Pro-Life and Religious Liberty' as an interest, we could find no record of the Diocese of Boise lobbying against that measure--or any other death penalty equivalent.