From NBC:
Tears of relief began to fall from Vicki Schieber’s eyes early on Thursday morning when she heard on the radio that Pope Francis had declared the death penalty unacceptable in all cases. As a Catholic, it’s something she’s worked to end in the United States since her daughter Shannon was raped and murdered in her Philadelphia apartment 20 years ago.
“I promised my daughter — I talk to her a lot — I said, ‘Listen, I’m working hard down here to end the death penalty, but I need you to pull some strings up there for mom,’ Schieber told NBC News. “And I guess she did.” A push in state legislatures in recent years has earned particular steam among conservative lawmakers, and the nod from Pope Francis may make it more difficult for conservative Catholic politicians to allow the practice to continue.