The Nation Gasps as Catholic Church Attacks DeSantis Directly

Photo byPhoto 145356562 / Desantis © Zhukovsky | Dreamstime.com

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has positioned himself as a Republican warrior fighting for faith and family.

He knows he's going to need the full support of a conservative voting body, including the Church if he wants to run for president in 2024.

He opposes the secular horrors of abortion, Disney, and the alleged LGBTQ+ agenda. The governor's reelection campaign even implied in a previous advertisement, shared by his wife, that he was chosen by the creator himself.

Death penalty regardless

DeSantis' style of public Christianity has recently developed a very Old Testament feel, emphasizing the need for both law and order and the execution of criminals.

DeSantis lamented the state's difficulty in executing convicted criminals. He called for a change in the law allowing the death penalty to be imposed even when the jury disagreed with the sentence. This came after the Parkland school shooter was given a life sentence with no possibility of parole.

Republicans have suggested two proposals that would accomplish this, one allowing judges to impose the death penalty on their own and the other allowing for a judgment of death when only 8 out of 12 jurors favor it.

DeSantis, a devout Catholic, asserted that anyone opposed to the death penalty shouldn't even be present in the trial.

DeSantis against the Church

In principle, the Catholic Church opposes the death penalty, and practicing Catholics are encouraged to advocate for its universal abolition. According to DeSantis, this should disqualify adherents to this teaching from participating on any Florida jury that may decide whether to impose the death penalty.

DeSantis has been publically sparring with the Catholic Church on more than one occasion lately.

During a press conference last year, Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski criticized the governor for his remarks addressing the influx of unaccompanied minors at the US-Mexico border. He compared the current influx of migrants to one of the 1960s. DeSantis called the comparison "disgusting."

"Children are children — and no child should be deemed 'disgusting' — especially by a public servant," replied Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski.

What do you think about the rift between DeSantis and the Church?

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