ROME (CWNews.com) - The Roman Colosseum was bathed in golden light on Tuesday as an anti-death penalty coalition recognized the decision by the US state of Illinois to declare a moratorium on all executions.

    The coalition -- which includes the United Nations, the Italian government, the city of Rome, the Vatican, the Catholic Sant' Egidio group, and Amnesty International -- began the campaign in December to illuminate the Colosseum in gold light for two days every time someone in the world is spared execution.

    On Monday, Illinois Gov. George Ryan issued an executive order for a moratorium on executions while a special panel studies the state's capital punishment system. Ryan said the system was "fraught with error," noting thirteen death row inmates in Illinois have been freed or taken off death row since 1987 after errors in their convictions were found.

    The Colosseum was chosen for the campaign because of its worldwide visibility -- millions of visitors see it every year -- and it was the site of thousands of executions by the Roman Empire. Tuesday's lighting was the eighth time since the campaign began.