Torture is a Moral Issue - A Catholic Study Guide

Tools to take a faithful stance against torture

Torture is a Moral Issue – A Catholic Study Guide was created by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in partnership with the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT). This four chapter study guide offers reflections on what the Catholic Church has to say about torture. Russell Testa, Executive Director of FAN, serves as the Treasurer on the Board of NRCAT and was part of helping to form this guide.

To download the study guide, click here.  You will require the free Adobe Reader to access the file.  If you do not have the Adobe Reader, download it for free here. 

You may also wish to view the Catholic News Service's article on the guide, “USCCB Introduces Study Guide that Examines Torture as Moral Issue." It describes the curriculum and also the participation by Catholic parishes and religious communities in NRCAT's “Banners Across America” project.

Click here to read an October 2009 op-ed by Rev. Richard L. Killmer of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, "End U.S.-sponsored torture forever."

For a Franciscan perspective, read this editorial by a Franciscan friar from North Carolina, published in The Herald Sun in March 2010.

For other resources to educate your congregation about torture or to find worship-related materials, please visit the “People of Faith Act” section of the NRCAT website.