by Jill Ragar Esfeld
jill.esfeld@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — He is widely known for his leadership in the pro-life movement in this country.
But pro-life advocacy in the Catholic Church is not limited to opposition to abortion.
Donna Schneweis, board chair of the Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty, relies on the support of Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann in her advocacy against capital punishment.
“He’s a very powerful witness,” she said.
The archbishop has been able to offer such compelling testimony against the death penalty because, as the son of a murder victim, he has a unique understanding of the hardships that descend on a family after the loss of a loved one to a brutal crime.
He also understands that taking another life does not heal the pain, but often stokes the anger.
Fred Naumann was 31 when he was murdered. He left behind a young son, named after him, and his wife expecting another son, who would be named Joseph.
This tragic family history has shaped the archbishop’s opinions on human dignity — from the unborn to the underprivileged, from the infirm to those on death row.
As chairman of the committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, he called for a halt to federal executions that had resumed under the first Trump administration.
In an interview with “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” in 2021, Archbishop Naumann asserted that we’re all made in the image of God, and Jesus came to redeem everyone, even the violent criminal.
“From the cross, [Jesus] was still forgiving his executioners,” he said. “Once we understand that we need God’s mercy, then we want to extend that mercy to others.”
Reflecting on his own father’s murder the archbishop said, “It was a tragedy that affected the trajectory of our family life for decades.”
Yet despite that tragedy, his mother Louise Naumann maintained a deep faith — and raised the archbishop and his older brother to have that same faith.
“I think what I really learned from my mother was not to allow herself to be consumed with anger at this,” he said. “And I’m so grateful to her, because she never focused on that for my brother and me.
“She wanted us never to take on the role of a victim.”
Sister Therese Bangert, social justice coordinator for the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, said the archbishop, just by his impressive stature, commands a certain attention.
“So when he comes to the Legislature, there is a presence there,” she said. “And when asked to support the efforts to get rid of the death penalty as a law in our state, he always responded.”
Sister Therese is grateful for the archbishop’s willingness to speak from personal experience.
“People are vulnerable when they share those stories,” she said. “I don’t care how long it’s been, this is still a part of his life that’s a painful wound.
“Yet, he has been willing to share that through the years.”
The archbishop never presumed to speak for all victims of murder in advocating for the abolition of the death penalty.
“It is not my intention to minimize the pain and loss of individuals and families who have suffered the death of a loved one as a result of a violent crime,” he said in a video published by the Catholic Mobilizing Network.
He contends the solution is more support for victims of violent crime.
His mother had a supportive family and a strong parish community who stepped in to help when his father was killed.
“We need to do the same for every mother,” he said.
The archbishop acknowledges the responsibility of the criminal justice system to deter the commission of brutal crimes.
However, he said that in the United States, “We have the ability to protect society from violent criminals without resorting to the death penalty.”
Archbishop Naumann often lamented the possibility of executing an innocent person. As recently as July 1, 2024, Larry Roberts in California became the 200th person exonerated from death row since 1973.
He also points out the revictimization of families amid lengthy appeals processes, and the cost of maintaining those appeals processes.
That in itself presents a social injustice issue.
“Those with the financial means to employ the most skilled attorneys in their defense are much less likely to be executed than the poor,” he said.
Schneweis has seen the archbishop’s activity before the Legislature, giving testimony and speaking at press conferences, as well as witnessing to the general public.
“As a murder victim’s family member,” she said, “his witness and statements are about not being vengeful, but offering a different vision to the world of what it’s like to walk that journey that he and his brother have had to walk.
“There is a way you can do it that doesn’t require another death.”
Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN) is a national faith-based movement working toward restorative justice through education, advocacy and prayer. Its tagline is: “End the death penalty, advance justice, begin healing.” CMN works in close collaboration with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. To join the network, go online to: Catholicsmobilizing.org and click “Get Involved.”
