Press Releases

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops has pleaded with Gov. Ron DeSantis to stay the execution of Michael Tanzi and commute his sentence to life without parole. Tanzi is scheduled to be executed on April 8 for the murder of Janet Acosta in 2000.

Tallahassee, FL (March 25, 2025) – The Catholic bishops of Florida honored four awardees at the annual Catholic Days at the Capitol breakfast on Wednesday. This year’s award recipients were core partners working alongside the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops to defeat Amendment 4 in November 2024, which would have rolled back legal protections for the unborn in Florida.

Edward James is scheduled to be executed on March 20 for the 1993 murders of Betty Dick and her eight-year-old granddaughter, Toni Neuner. The FCCB recognizes the terrible pain and loss imposed by the actions of Mr. James. "We mourn the tragic deaths of Mrs. Dick and Toni and the suffering of their family members, and we pray for their comfort," wrote Michael Sheedy, FCCB executive director, in a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis.

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) has implored Gov. Ron DeSantis to stay the execution of James Ford and commute his death sentence. Ford is scheduled to be executed on February 13 for the 1997 murders of Gregory Malnory and his wife, Kimberly Malnory, in Charlotte County.

We are profoundly relieved at the defeat of Florida’s pro-abortion Amendment 4. This is a positive outcome for Florida and all efforts to promote the flourishing of our state. Though Amendment 4 failed to reach the 60% threshold required to pass, a majority of Floridians voting in the general election supported it. While significant gains to protect women and preborn children in recent years will remain in place, abortion in Florida will continue at a very high rate under our current laws.