Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In this election season, it is critical to remember that creating a moral society is a responsibility of people of faith, and a basic part of the mission given to us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Church takes that responsibility quite seriously, and as such is obligated to provide guidance on the issues of the day, in accordance with Church teaching.
You may have heard some say, “But the Church has no right to talk about political issues!” While it is true that the Church is non-partisan and would never presume to tell you for whom to vote, the Church does have a role to play in encouraging, or discouraging, the support of various amendments and issues that will affect all. The very statement “the separation of Church and State” was first used by Thomas Jefferson, assuring concerned citizens that such a separation was provided by the First Amendment and in fact would protect citizens from government interference in the free practice of religion, not the other way around, as many believe the phrase to mean today.
Given this, as your Bishop, I encourage you to learn the facts about two dangerous amendments appearing on the Ballot in Florida for the upcoming election. It is my belief that once the facts are known, and the broad implications and grave consequences of these two proposed amendments understood, there will be no choice other than to vote NO on both Amendments 3 and 4.
Amendment 3 proposes legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in the state of Florida. Legalizing the recreational use of marijuana creates the impression it is safe to use. It isn’t.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who use marijuana have almost a 10% higher risk of becoming addicted. Additional research links the use of marijuana by young adults to psychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Women who use marijuana while pregnant increase the risk of stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight and impaired development of the baby’s brain.
Making this drug more accessible by removing the criminal penalties and stigma attributable to it will most assuredly lead to increased recreational use of the drug, inflicting grave damage on human health and life! Legalization of the recreational use of marijuana has no place in our family-friendly state! Please learn the facts and Vote NO on Amendment 3.
Amendment 4 presents another grave danger to human health and life and proposes to embed in our state constitution a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion at any time, for any reason, including when the baby can feel pain, and throughout the ninth month of pregnancy. Common sense laws which have previously protected women who choose abortion will be removed. Doctors will no longer be required, and parental consent for a minor will no longer be necessary. This change to our state constitution would make Florida one of the most pro-abortion states in the nation, turning Florida into an “abortion tourism” state. Further, it is likely that such an amendment would lead to taxpayer-funded abortion for the people of Florida. Is this what we want?
Although it is my hope that one day abortion will be unthinkable, Florida’s current abortion law which includes these commonsense laws to protect women and girls and puts limits on when and why an abortion can be performed, is far preferable to a constitutional amendment that puts not only unborn babies, but women, and girls at great risk.
Keep in mind that in Florida’s entire history, only once has a constitutional amendment ever been removed once put in place. Think carefully before you make such a permanent choice for our state! Please learn the facts and Vote No on Amendment 4.
In addition to learning the truth about Amendments 3 and 4, please also examine two new voter resources produced by the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB). The FCCB Voter Guide provides information about Catholic teaching, offers considerations on key topics, and poses questions regarding current issues to assist voters in evaluating candidate positions or political party platforms. A second resource, The 2024 Presidential Candidate Comparison, provides a comparison of the positions of candidates for U.S. President, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, on multiple topics. The Comparison has been compiled directly from policies, public statements, official websites, and other sources. Both of these resources are available in both English and Spanish, and can be found on the FCCB website: https://www.flaccb.org/election-materials-and-guidelines.
I hope you will find these resources helpful as you make your voting decisions, and that you will join me in voting NO on Amendments 3 and 4.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
+ Frank J. Dewane
Bishop of the Diocese
of Venice in Florida
