The Gospel of Life, Even on Death Row: Archbishop Golka Supports Florida Bishops’ Call to End the Death Penalty

Responding to a new pastoral letter, the Denver archbishop thanked Florida's bishops for their witness to the Gospel of life and prayed that every state would abolish capital punishment.

Denver Archbishop James Golka thanked his brother bishops in Florida for their recent pastoral letter calling for the end of capital punishment in the state. (Photo by Dan Petty/Denver Catholic)

Ahead of a double execution in Florida on July 28, the state’s Catholic bishops issued a pastoral letter reflecting on the “moral, legal and practical implications of the death penalty,” according to a summary published by the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The letter came amid a drastic expansion of the death penalty in Florida. In 2025, the state executed more individuals than ever before in its history. Additionally, in recent years, Florida has enacted legislation lowering the required number of jurors to recommend a death sentence from 12 to eight and expanding the list of crimes eligible for the death penalty.

“These developments warrant renewed public reflection on the moral, legal and practical implications of the death penalty,” the Conference wrote.

At the core of the letter is a pro-life challenge to respect the dignity of every human person.

“While recognizing the profound suffering experienced by victims of violent crime and their families, respect for human dignity extends even to those convicted of the most serious offenses,” the Conference explained in its summary. “Because modern correctional systems can effectively protect society through life imprisonment without parole, the Church concludes that executions are no longer morally justified.”

Put simply, the bishops wrote, “Rather than promoting life by deterring homicides, the death penalty promotes a culture of death by declaring that we can improve society by bringing about the death of a human being in our names.”

Upon news of the executions and the pastoral letter, Denver Archbishop James Golka expressed gratitude and support for his brother bishops’ courageous and compassionate witness to the Gospel of life.

“I’m grateful for the pastoral letter from my brother bishops in Florida on the death penalty,” he said.

Noting that our own state abolished the death penalty in 2020, Archbishop Golka prayed for similar laws across the nation, saying, “May every state come to the same conclusion.”

The Denver archbishop encouraged the archdiocesan faithful to read and reflect on the Florida bishops’ pastoral letter, taking to heart their reflection on biblical truth, Church teaching, the virtue of justice and the Christian call to mercy and compassion.

To read the letter, click here.

To read the summary, click here.