Today’s guest is Sister Helen Prejean, a Catholic nun famous for her activism against the death penalty. In the early 1980s, Prejean met a prisoner on death row—Elmo Patrick Sonnier—after an activist asked her to write him a letter. She served as Sonnier’s spiritual adviser and accompanied him to his death, which inspired her work against capital punishment. Her 1993 book, Dead Man Walking, was made into a movie starring Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Prejean. Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally also created a highly regarded opera of the same name.
Reason‘s Billy Binion spoke with Prejean about growing up in the segregated South, her opposition to the death penalty, how she connects with crime victims, and her response to Christians who believe the death penalty is just.
0:00—Introduction
1:15—Dead Man Walking and being a spiritual adviser
4:40—Sister Prejean’s death row counseling
11:52—Robert Lee Willie and Faith Hathaway
18:45—Advocating for “unpopular” people
29:20—Marcellus Williams
33:09—Would Prejean support the death penalty even if absolute certainty was possible?
34:48—Faith-based activism and “loving your enemy”
40:07—Being truly “pro-life”
42:29—Navigating tribalism
44:29—Calling on the church to embrace feminism and LGBTQ inclusivity
47:07—Prejean’s personal history and Vatican II reforms
51:40—Falling in love with a priest despite a vow of celibacy
56:42—The biggest threat in the world now
