Catholic News

Pope Leo XIV met privately with members of the Synod on Synodality's continental bodies at the Vatican on June 25, as they concluded a recent conference to reflect on the synod's implementation ahead of the ecclesial assembly in October 2028.

Held on the eve of the two-day extraordinary consistory of cardinals, which began at the Vatican on June 26, the pontiff's meeting with the synod members concluded a three-day gathering to discuss the document "Towards the Assemblies 2027-2028: Stages, Criteria and Tools for Preparation," published by the synod in May.

The final session of the extraordinary consistory of cardinals will feature a discussion on the document and implementing the synod before 2028.

The synod meeting included discussions regarding synod teams at the diocesan and national levels, current progress and challenges in implementing synodality, and the synod's final document, published in 2025 under Pope Francis.

Synod Secretary General Cardinal Mario Grech said in a press release that, "The meeting with the Holy Father was for all the participants a powerful sign of support and encouragement as they continue their work for the Church's synodal conversion."

The synod's implementation path before the ecclesial assembly in 2028 will proceed through four stages: "Recollecting" in the first half of 2027; "Interpreting" in the second half of 2027; "Orienting" in the first four months of 2028; and "Celebrating" in October 2028.

In May, the synod featured the testimonies of two men in civil marriages with other men. It formed part of the synod's Executive Summary of the Final Report of Study Group 9, which analyzed the experience and pastoral care of LGBTQ+ Catholics.

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The Michigan government this week released its sixth report of diocesan abuse allegations in the state, revealing abuse claims against more than three dozen priests and one deacon in the Diocese of Saginaw.

The state attorney general's report is the second-to-last of a total of seven investigations into clergy and Church abuse in Michigan. Prior to the Saginaw investigation, Attorney General Dana Nessel's office released a report in December 2025 regarding the Diocese of Grand Rapids.

On June 25, the state published its investigation into the Saginaw Diocese, revealing what it said were allegations against "37 priests and one deacon." The allegations date as far back as the 1950s.

Thirty of the alleged abusers are "known or presumed to be dead," while of the eight living priests, "none is in active ministry," according to the report.

The majority of incidents involve alleged abuse of underage minors, though four priests were the subject of allegations involving adults, according to the report.

The attorney general's investigation was launched in part to examine whether criminal charges could be filed against any of the accused. In its press release announcing the report, the attorney general's office indicated that it had not filed any criminal charges against priests from the Saginaw Diocese.

Nessel said in a press release the investigation was "only possible because of the bravery of so many, from young children to the elderly, coming forward over decades to share their suffering."

"Accountability comes in many forms, and by publishing these accounts we hope to foster acknowledgment for these survivors and safer communities today," she said.

In a June 25 letter, Saginaw Bishop Robert Gruss acknowledged the release of the report and affirmed that the diocese had "fully cooperated" with the government in its investigation.

"As Bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw, I want to express my deepest sorrows to those who have been victims of abuse by members of the clergy," the prelate said. "Please accept my sincere apology for the pain and suffering you have experienced by those who were entrusted with your care."

The bishop noted that the "vast majority" of abuse allegations in the diocese were "very old," with most occurring decades ago, in the 1970s and 1980s.

"It's clear that the Catholic Church in the United States has made significant progress over the last 20-plus years in putting safeguards in place to protect children, young people, and vulnerable adults," he said.

"Clearly, we are a different Church today because of those who have and continue to courageously share their stories, so that the sins and crimes which damaged the Body of Christ could be addressed," he wrote.

Following the Saginaw report, the state government is expected to release one more investigation regarding allegations in the Archdiocese of Detroit. Nessel in the press release said the Detroit investigation would be released "later this year."

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The parable of the prodigal son has been depicted many times in art. Recently, the choir Harpa Dei, made up of three siblings, released a Gregorian chant video that tells this story of "the Father's mercy and his great longing for lost children to return home."

"Over the past few weeks, we have been working on a project that sets many of the words spoken by Jesus himself during his public ministry to Gregorian chant," siblings Nikolai, Lucía, and Mirjana Gerstner told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, on June 24.

"These are very ancient chants that have evolved since the early centuries within the context of the liturgy, both in Holy Mass and in the breviary," they said.

Why the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Latin?

While they sing in other languages ??as well, the siblings said that "our focus and home as Roman Catholics is Gregorian chant. One of its fundamental characteristics is that its texts are exclusively in Latin."

After highlighting that Latin serves "for the worship of God and, therefore, easily lifts us from the profane to the transcendent," Harpa Dei said it hopes this chant will help "the faithful rediscover the beauty of Gregorian chant and the value of a sacred language as great treasures of the Church."

The Gerstner siblings also noted that "the words of Jesus, who is the Word made flesh, possess great power and efficacy. They offer comfort, guidance, and strength; they invite conversion and reveal the Father to us just as he truly is."

They said Gregorian chant makes it possible to "penetrate the soul deeply and gently, and to become imprinted upon the memory and the heart."

The Prodigal Son video

They also said they hope to help "the 'prodigal' sons and daughters of this world realize that God, our Heavenly Father, is waiting for them, and that his great desire is for them to return to him, to their true home."

The siblings said they filmed the video in the Danube Valley and at Lake Constance in southern Germany. "Throughout the filming process, we could clearly recognize God's guidance in finding the right locations and managing all the logistics," they said.

Since 2011, following a peace initiative, the siblings have felt called to evangelize through sacred music. Their mission has taken them to many countries around the world, such as Mexico, Israel, Germany, Russia, Ecuador, Lithuania, and the United States, among others.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is set to cut tens of millions of teenage pregnancy prevention grants that don't align with the administration's goals.

The department's Office of Population Affairs, which designates grants for teenage pregnancy prevention, will divert $67 million to open new grants for prevention programs, a source confirmed to EWTN News.

The department will terminate 53 of 67 of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program grants following a department review, according to a Daily Signal report. The department reportedly described the current grants as "age-inappropriate," "sexually explicit," and in violation of the program's founding statute.

Some of the current teenage pregnancy programs teach teens how to access abortion, while others promote transgender ideology or sexually explicit material.

"Under programming favored by the Biden Administration, we saw too much emphasis on abortion and too little on protecting kids," said Kristi Hamrick, a spokeswoman for Students for Life.

Hamrick referred to various instances of programming that instruct high schoolers with sexually explicit content.

"The kind of programming that tries to separate sexual activity from marriage or from babies, who are an important reality, misses the point," Hamrick told EWTN News. "Pretending in programming that the presence or absence of a baby is the only thing to discuss, or that contraception comes with magical guarantees, doesn't begin to educate teenagers."

"Young girls being groomed by older men; sexually transmitted diseases or broken hearts are all part of this reality, which makes pushing abortion as a 'solution' seriously off base," Hamrick continued.

The administration is opening up new grants for pregnancy prevention programming more aligned with its goals, promoting two new funding streams according to two notices the department listed on Tuesday, totaling $71.1 million in grants. Applications close July 26.

Andrea Trudden, spokeswoman for Heartbeat International, an organization of pregnancy help centers, noted that many pregnancy centers provide education that reduces the risk of unplanned pregnancies.

"Pregnancy help organizations serve as an important resource for young women when an unexpected pregnancy occurs, offering practical support, compassionate care, and information about the resources available to help them continue their pregnancies," she told EWTN News.

"Many of these organizations also provide sexual risk avoidance education that encourages healthy relationships, responsible decision-making, and behaviors that reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy," Trudden continued.

"When a teen pregnancy does occur, the goal should be to ensure that no young woman feels she has to choose between her future and her child," said Trudden.

"Pregnancy help organizations have decades of experience walking alongside teens before, during, and after pregnancy, helping them build healthy futures," said Trudden.

"With the right support, education, parenting resources, and community assistance, teens can pursue their goals while welcoming the life of their baby," Trudden said.

"There are so many out there ready to help, at churches, at pregnancy care centers, and in the community," Hamrick added.

Hamrick noted that Students for Life lists resources at their webpage, Standing With You.

"A baby represents hope and a future, and for a family, whether by birth or adoption, and we need to help teenagers understand that they are not alone, that many will help, and that this is the beginning of another person's story," Hamrick said.

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It hasbeen five years since the Euthanasia Law came into effect in Spain — a law that, since its approval, has claimed the lives of 1,668 people, according to official data published by the Spanish Ministry of Health.

Since its inception, the number of euthanasia procedures carried out in the country has risen steadily; from 75 in the second half of 2021 to 288 in 2022, followed by 334 in 2023, some 426 in 2024 and 565 in 2025.

The Madrid-based Professionals for Ethics Association has issued a report that points out that the progression of euthanasia over the past five years shows that "once approved, euthanasia becomes a slippery slope" with destructive effects.

In addition to accelerated year-to-year growth in the number of euthanasia cases, the ethics professionals cite the progressive expansion of the grounds for the procedure under the catch-all category of "severe suffering."

Euthanasia procedures have been streamlined "even at the cost of reducing or eliminating safeguards," according to the report.

Euthanasia is being promoted "as an altruistic choice, based on arguments regarding organ donation and bequests to pro-euthanasia associations."

The report denounces the "imposition of the so-called 'right to die' and personal autonomy over good medical practice."

The practice of euthanasia results in the "abandonment of clinical effort" in situations where it appears to be an "easier and less costly" option. The report also underscores that euthanasia "harms the relationship of trust" between patient and physician, as well as between the patient and their family members.

The "normalization of euthanasia" in society and among healthcare professionals has led to the "loss of the meaning of vulnerable life, of aging, and of the value of caring for and accompanying" such patients, the report finds.

Other destructive effects include "social pressure on dependent individuals based on 'quality of life' criteria and the perception of being a burden to others" and, finally, the fostering of individualism and "society's indifference toward suffering."

Recommendations

Beyond pointing out dangers and contradictions inherent in the advance of euthanasia in Spain, the Professionals for Ethics Association proposes five measures "to reverse the slippery slope of euthanasia upon which we have already embarked."

The first recommended measure is to develop "the plan, organization, and resources necessary to provide nationwide palliative care coverage," which must include "home-based teams and specialized pediatric units."

The ethics professionals also recommend boosting support "for vulnerable individuals and their families," specifically those facing dependency, mental illness, and unwanted loneliness. This requires both the allocation of resources to address these challenges and facilitating "family support through programs that balance work and family life in order to provide care" for the patient.

A third recommendation is to monitor official information regarding the euthanasia procedures performed in order to "ensure rigor in the processes for requesting and approving euthanasia," as well as preventing lax interpretations of the law that make "euthanasia the easiest, most accessible, and quickest 'solution'."

Fourth, the association holds that "it is vital to preserve the mission and objectives of healthcare aimed at preventing, curing, and caring for health as well as professional ethics and practice."

In this regard, the group emphasizes that "euthanasia runs counter to the essence of medicine, caring for human life, and should never be considered a medical act." Thus, the association also advocates the right of healthcare workers to conscientiously object to participating in euthanasia procedures.

Finally, the association calls for halting the promotion of euthanasia, as its rise "is neither a social good nor a sign of progress in human rights, nor is it even a neutral matter."

"The fact that an increasing number of people in Spain desire a lethal injection should be a cause for concern, not celebration," the group emphasizes; and therefore advocates for "a euthanasia prevention plan" similar to those for suicide and, ultimately, the repeal of the euthanasia law and the enactment of legislation "that facilitates the care of human life until the very end."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The only weekly celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in western Kentucky will come to an end this weekend, following an order from Diocese of Owensboro Bishop William Medley, who says he is enforcing Pope Francis' 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes.

Immaculate Conception Parish in Earlington — the oldest Catholic church in Hopkins County, established in 1886 — has offered the TLM for nearly a decade, and will have its final Mass in the extraordinary form at 12:30 p.m. CT on June 28.

It is the only parish offering the TLM in the diocese, which covers the 32 westernmost counties in Kentucky. The closest options available will be east in the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky; north in the Diocese of Evansville, Indiana; and south in the Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee.

Penny Giardinella, administrative assistant for the small parish, told EWTN News the church is "pretty full" during the TLM, as it is during all Sunday Masses. She said a large portion of TLM worshipers travel from outside parish lines to attend.

On May 18, the bishop sent a letter to the parish priest, Father David Kennedy, instructing him to halt all celebrations of the TLM after June 30. Although he initially secured a dispensation for the parish to continue its weekly celebration amid the 2021 Vatican restrictions, Medley did not seek an extension into the latter half of 2026.

The issue, Medley said in his letter, is that he lacked standing to seek an extension because the parish did not submit a report to the bishop, which the Holy See required for an extension to be granted. The bishop said this requirement was based on his 2023 correspondence with the Holy See.

The report, he wrote, needed to provide the TLM attendance and explain what steps were taken to lead the faithful toward the Novus Ordo Mass — the ordinary form of the liturgy adopted in 1969 by the Catholic Church in reforms following the Second Vatican Council.

"As I am unable to demonstrate that this condition has been met, I have no standing to request an extension of the Holy See," Medley wrote.

Medley said the parish can instead celebrate the novus ordo Mass in accordance with the 1969 reforms in the Latin language and ad orientem, with the priest facing toward the tabernacle and away from the people.

"I know in some dioceses, the faithful who have shown a preference for the Mass celebrated in Latin have accepted the Novus Ordo Mass celebrated in the Latin language," Medley said.

The bishop added that he postponed halting the Mass upon the death of Francis to see whether Pope Leo XIV would alter the restrictions. Because Leo has not — and because the January Consistory of the College of Cardinals explicitly opted not to review Traditionis Custodes — the bishop said he "felt obligated to act in accord with the direction of the Holy See."

"For the faithful who may object to this directive, you may certainly refer them to me, but please make clear that I am acting in accord with my promise to the pope, the Bishop of Rome," Medley said. "I am grateful for your ministry to this small and unique community. And I assure you of my prayers for them and for you and I kindly ask that you all pray for me."

Rachel Hall, director of communications for the diocese, told EWTN News that "the parish will transition to the scheduled details in the correspondence" after June 30.

"As the parish navigates this transition with their faithful pastor Father Kennedy, the diocese asks for prayers to the Holy Spirit in guidance, with unity and peace," she said.

Leo has not taken any official steps to amend Francis's TLM restrictions, but has offered a conciliatory tone toward those attached to the older form of the liturgy.

In March, Leo described liturgical divisions as a "painful wound" in a communication with French bishops, and encouraged solutions that allow "the generous inclusion" of Catholics who choose to worship at the TLM "in respect for the directions desired by the Second Vatican Council in matters of liturgy."

Last year, Leo approved Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke's celebration of the TLM at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

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More than 20 professors at the Franciscan University of Steubenville are calling on the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) to not proceed with its planned consecration of bishops on July 1.

"We write not as adversaries, but as fellow Christians who love the Church, which is built on Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, and who, like you, long for the salvation of souls," the professors wrote in an open letter to the SSPX, noting that if the group moves forward with the illicit consecrations, "it would cement and deepen the already existing separation between the Society and the See of Peter."

"Whatever legitimate questions or grievances may exist, they are no excuse to create a schism," the letter's signatories assert. The letter is signed by 26  faculty and staff, with university professors of theology constituting the majority of the signatories. 

"The treasures of Catholic Tradition do not belong outside communion with Peter; they belong at the heart of the Church," the letter continues. "A new episcopal ordination outside the ecclesial hierarchy without the Apostolic mandate would create a new wound in the Body of Christ and place the gifts that God has entrusted to the Society, which belong to the Church and are ordered towards unity with her (Lumen Gentium 8), outside of her maternal embrace."

"Please don't do this," the letter said. "Please don't create this wound! Please, re-enter into dialogue with the Holy See and into full communion with the Church."

The letter comes after the SSPX announced it plans to consecrate four new bishops at its seminary in Écône, Switzerland, prompting Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican to warn that doing do without a papal mandate would constitute "a schismatic act" and carry the penalty of excommunication.

"We have invited them, and I am still considering making another appeal, to say: 'Do not do this. Let us try to live communion in the Church.' But it is their choice. They must understand what it means for them and for the Church," the pope said, responding to journalists' questions outside Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo on June 16.

Courage International priest says Pride Month events 'inappropriate' at Catholic colleges

Courage International Associate Director Father Colin Blatchford has spoken out against Catholic colleges holding Pride Month events.

In an interview with the Cardinal Newman Society, Blatchford said "it causes scandal" when a Catholic college encourages students to participate in events celebrating Pride Month in June.

Courage International is a Catholic apostolate that ministers to individuals experiencing same-sex attraction and gender confusion.

"When a Catholic college picks and chooses the theological or philosophical teachings of the Church that it will abide, it undermines that process," Blatchford said. "Indeed, it hollows it out and provides merely an empty emotional shell where there should be a full abiding relationship with God."

"The anthropological underpinnings of 'Pride Month' include a dualistic view of the person and radical autonomy," he said. "Each of the last four popes has spoken about the necessity of recognizing the dignity of the human person and that no one thing here on this earth can sufficiently define who we are, beyond 'beloved child of God.'"

Blatchford encouraged Catholic colleges to remember three things when encountering individuals with same-sex attraction: "First, communicate that they are loved. Second, let them know that even if it does not seem so now, God has a unique plan for their life. And finally, ask if they would be willing to share their story."

"We don't have to agree on everything or approve of every action, but we walk together towards God. We are a group of imperfect people striving to grow closer to God, by means of His grace," he said.

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The diocese of Northampton, England, confirmed that a Catholic bishop in England has been charged with child rape.

Bishop David James Oakley of Northampton was charged with two counts of rape against a female under the age of 16.

The diocese of Northampton confirmed that the bishop "has been charged after an investigation into non-recent safeguarding allegations."

The diocese could not provide further comment.

"We understand that this will be very distressing for all concerned but cannot comment further on an active legal process," the diocese said in its statement.

The statement provided direction to safeguarding resources.

"If you have any safeguarding concerns please contact either the diocesan safeguarding team or the police directly," the diocese said.

Oakley was ordained in 1980 as a priest and became bishop of Northampton in 2020. In October of last year, he took a leave of absence for "personal reasons." Oakley was an episcopal advisor for Catholic Charismatic Renewal in England and Wales and was rector of St. Mary's College, Oscott, the seminary of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, from 2013 to 2020.

English news outlets reported that the bishop was a strong contender for bishop of Westminster in recent years.

Oakley will appear in court for an initial hearing August 14.

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The Netherlands has recorded its first reported life-ending procedure involving a child under the age of 12 since expanding its euthanasia regulations in 2024, a development that has renewed ethical concerns among Catholic and pro-life advocates about the growing reach of assisted-dying laws.

According to the Dutch government's 2025 annual report on late-term pregnancy termination and life-ending procedures, authorities received a report in late 2025 involving a child between the ages of 1 and 12. The case is the first known report since the Netherlands broadened its regulations to permit euthanasia for children in that age group under limited circumstances.

Dutch Health Minister Sophie Hermans confirmed in a June 22 letter to the Dutch House of Representatives, "At the end of 2025, the committee received its first report of life termination of a child between the ages of 1 and 12 years."

Few details about the child's age, illness, or circumstances have been released. Under Dutch law, all such cases are reviewed by an independent committee to determine whether legal requirements were followed.

A medical-legal committee reviewed the death, evaluated it, and forwarded an advisory opinion to prosecutors who must independently decide next steps, Hermans' letter said. The committee is expected to publish its opinion on its website.

Expansion of Dutch euthanasia policy

The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize euthanasia for adults in 2002. Before the 2024 expansion, euthanasia was already permitted for infants under one year old in exceptional circumstances and for minors aged 12 and older, subject to parental consent requirements.

Dutch officials said the regulations were designed to address a small number of cases involving terminally ill children experiencing what authorities describe as "hopeless and unbearable suffering."

Under the rules, euthanasia for children ages 1 to 12 may be permitted when a child is terminally ill, suffering unbearably with no prospect of improvement, and when no reasonable treatment or palliative care alternative exists.

The 2025 report recorded three late-term pregnancy terminations, no reported life-ending procedures involving newborns, and one reported life-ending procedure involving a child between the ages of 1 and 12.

Catholic bioethicists raise concerns

The reported case of the child under 12 has drawn criticism from Catholic and pro-life advocates, who argue that society's response to suffering should be compassionate care and effective pain management rather than intentionally ending a human life.

"This is clearly a grave ethical violation," said Joseph Meaney, senior fellow and director of international coordination at the National Catholic Bioethics Center. "The Church teaches that euthanasia and assisted suicide are intrinsically evil and so can never be morally justified actions. The case of euthanizing children is graver still since a child cannot give informed consent."

Meaney said that while euthanasia may appear compassionate in cases of severe suffering, "it is a grave mistake," emphasizing that "human persons have a special dignity" and that modern medicine offers ethical means of pain management and care for the seriously ill and dying.

He also warned that the Netherlands has often served as a bellwether for euthanasia policy worldwide.

"Expanding the limits of what is allowed by the law in terms of medicalized killing usually happens first in the Netherlands and then spreads to other countries," Meaney said.

International implications

The case comes amid ongoing debates over assisted dying in several Western nations.

Meaney warned that jurisdictions often begin by legalizing euthanasia in limited circumstances before gradually broadening eligibility.

"After a few years of legalization, advocates push for limitations to be removed or the categories of persons with permission to be killed or kill themselves to be enlarged," he said.

Matt Vallière, executive director of the Patient Rights Action Fund, expressed similar concerns.

"The further that they push the envelope, the more other countries will consider it, especially in the Euro-American West," Vallière said. "Currently, bills are pending in France, the UK, and Scotland."

He also pointed to developments in the United States.

"You see some of this going back and forth from here to the states, too. There are 12 states plus D.C. that have officially legalized assisted suicide," he said.

The report comes as euthanasia continues to rise in the Netherlands. More than 10,000 euthanasia deaths were reported in the Netherlands in 2025, accounting for a growing share of annual deaths in the country.

The Netherlands remains one of only a handful of countries that permit euthanasia for minors. Belgium removed age restrictions on euthanasia in 2014, while assisted-dying proposals continue to be debated in several Western nations.

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A prominent Catholic anti-death penalty group is praising Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine for his decision to commute the death sentence of a prisoner suffering from intellectual disabilities.

In May, DeWine quietly commuted the sentence of Gregory Lott, who killed a man in East Cleveland in 1986 by setting him on fire during a burglary.

DeWine did not publicly announce the commutation, which he issued several weeks before openly calling for an end to the death penalty in the state.

A former supporter of the death penalty, DeWine said during a June 16 press conference that the "moral justification I had for voting for the death penalty simply no longer exists."

DeWine did not directly say during that press event if he would commute any death sentences, though reporters questioned him on the subject. The order to commute Lott's sentence had been filed in the state court system several days earlier.

The order cited a parole board recommendation that Lott's sentence be commuted, as well as findings that Lott is "intellectually disabled to a degree that would prohibit the imposition of the death penalty under current law."

The family members of Lott's victim, meanwhile, said they were "opposed to the implementation of the death penalty," according to the order.

A 'pro-life decision'

Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, the executive director of the anti-death penalty group Catholic Mobilizing Network, said in a June 25 statement that "no matter the harm one has caused or suffered, every person deserves the possibility of redemption."

Responding to DeWine's decision by exclaiming "Praise God!" Murphy said the commutation "underscores the governor's concern for those who are marginalized in our society."

She urged DeWine to "take further steps before leaving office toward commuting the death sentences of the more than 100 individuals who are currently on Ohio's death row."

Lott's efforts to avoid the death penalty took a winding path through both the state courts and the state executive system.

The U.S. Supreme Court in 2002 ruled in Atkins v. Virginia that executing condemned criminals who are intellectually disabled is unconstitutional.

Lott's attorneys appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court under that ruling, though the state court denied that claim, establishing what in judicial circles came to be known as "Lott's Test" for determining the threshold of intellectual disability.

Yet he was spared from being executed after Ohio's 2014 execution of Dennis McGuire, whom witnesses said visibly suffered while dying from the lethal injection that ultimately killed him. Then-Gov. John Kasich issued a moratorium on executions there that lasted for more than three years.

Stephen Ferrell, one of Lott's public defenders during his legal battles, told the Marshall Project that Lott "would have been executed a month [after McGuire]" without the moratorium in place.

"To me, that epitomizes the arbitrariness of this system," the lawyer said.

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