Press Releases

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) has requested that Gov. Ron DeSantis stay the July 15 scheduled execution of Michael Bell and commute his sentence to life imprisonment without parole.

The FCCB has requested Gov. Ron DeSantis to stay the execution of Thomas Gudinas and commute his sentence to life imprisonment without parole. Gudinas is scheduled to be executed on June 24 for the 1994 murder of Michelle McGrath in Orlando.

Florida’s Catholic Bishops have interceded to ask Governor Ron DeSantis to stay the execution of Anthony Wainwright and commute his sentence to life without parole. Wainwright is scheduled to be executed on June 10 for the 1994 murder of Carmen Gayheart in Hamilton County, FL.

The College of Cardinals has elected the 267th successor of St. Peter the Apostle. Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, who has taken the name Leo XIV, was elected May 8, 2025. The following is a statement from Michael Sheedy, executive director of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Florida’s Catholic bishops have appealed to Gov. Ron DeSantis to stay the execution of Glen Rogers and commute his sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Rogers is scheduled to be executed on May 15 for the 1995 murder of Tina Marie Cribbs in Florida. He also received a sentence of death for the murder of Sandra Gallagher in California and is suspected of committing several other murders across the country.

Florida’s Catholic bishops have asked Governor Ron DeSantis to stay the execution of Jeffrey Hutchinson and commute his sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Hutchinson is scheduled to be executed on May 1. He was convicted of the 1998 murders of Renee Flaherty and her three children, Geoffrey, Amanda, and Logan Flaherty. A sentence of death was imposed for the murder of each child. A life sentence was imposed for the murder of Ms. Flaherty.