Florida's Catholic bishops issued a pastoral letter on 27 July reminding Catholics that the Church opposes the use of the death penalty and encouraging the faithful to remember that every human being, including those accused or convicted of heinous crimes, possesses inherent dignity.
"We wish to remind Catholics of the teaching of our Church against the use of the death penalty in situations—like our own—where bloodless means are sufficient to punish offenders and protect public safety," the bishops wrote.
