Catholics for Choice Statement on the Results of Amendment 4 in Florida
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Contact: Ashley Wilson, Strategic Communications Advisor
Phone: 202-294-4081
Email: media@catholicsforchoice.org
Catholics for Choice Statement on the Results of Amendment 4 in Florida
WASHINGTON — Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, issued the following statement from Organizing and Movement Building Director Stephanie Hanson-Quintana on the results of Amendment 4 in Florida:
“Catholics for Choice is saddened to see Amendment 4, which would have protected Floridians’ ability to make healthcare decisions for themselves, go down in defeat tonight, even though the fact remains that 57% of Florida voters want to ensure they can make medical decisions in consultation with their doctors and without government interference. Opponents of Amendment 4 — from Florida politicians to the Catholic hierarchy — waged a deceptive campaign that resorted to misinformation and regularly leveraged platforms that should stay out of partisan politics, like a church pulpit or a financial impact estimating conference.
“Our hearts go out to our partners and advocates throughout Florida who worked so hard to try to achieve a better outcome, especially at the Floridians Protecting Freedom campaign, Mi Vecino, Florida Rising, Latina Institute, Florida Protegiendo la Libertad, and all the Catholics for Choice who showed up to rallies and spoke out in the media about this amendment.
“The threshold to pass Amendment 4 was incredibly high — 60% of voters needed to affirm this initiative for it to pass. While polls showed that voters are overwhelmingly supportive, the massive disinformation campaign orchestrated by Florida’s partisan politicians and Catholic Bishops proved successful. As of today, the Catholic bishops in Florida and other Catholic-affiliated groups have spent nearly $1.6 million to fight Amendment 4, even though only 1 in 10 Catholics agree with the bishops’ position on abortion. By comparison, Catholics for Choice only had a small fraction of that to mobilize Hispanic Catholics and other Catholic voters who are called by their faith to support conscience and religious freedom.
“Amendment 4’s failure to pass does not mean that most people reject legal abortion. But rather, it means that the bishops and right-wing politicians have been successful in their campaign to spend millions of dollars and instill fear and shame among the people they are supposed to serve. Catholics in Florida deserve so much better from their church.
“Catholics for Choice represents the faithful majority of pro-choice Catholics who support abortion access, including all those who supported Amendment 4. We may not have won in the Sunshine State tonight, but our commitment to fully restoring the fundamental right to abortion access — a right that was so cruelly stripped away through decades of political maneuvering and overreach by the Catholic hierarchy — is stronger than ever. And we won’t stop until everyone, in Florida and across the country, has access to safe, quality, and affordable sexual and reproductive healthcare, including abortion care.”
Large Contributions from Catholic Entities to Oppose Amendment 4:
- 1/22/24 contribution from FL Conference of Catholic Bishops: $25,000
- 3/31/24 contribution from FL Conference of Catholic Bishops: $45,000
- 4/30/24 contribution from FL Conference of Catholic Bishops: $17,976.10
- 5/31/24 contribution from FL Conference of Catholic Bishops: $15,000
- 6/5/24 contribution from the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee: $25,000
- 6/5/24 contribution from the Diocese of St. Augustine: $55,000
- 6/21/24 contribution from FL Conference of Catholic Bishops: $15,000
- 7/2/24 contribution from the Archdiocese of Miami: $129,037
- 7/12/24 contribution from the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops: $15,000
- 7/17/2024 contribution from the Dioceses of Venice in Florida: $100,000
- 8/1/24 contribution from the Diocese of Orlando: $50,000
- 8/2/24 contribution from the Knights of Columbus, Ave Maria Florida: $4,352.64
- 8/15/24 contribution from the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops: $39,000
- 8/22/24 contribution from the Archdiocese of Miami: $193,556
- 8/28/24 contribution from the Diocese of St. Petersburg: $100,000
- 8/29/24 contribution from the Diocese of Venice: $1442.50
- 9/5/24 contribution from the Diocese of Palm Beach: $100,000
- 9/19 contributions from St. Agnes Knights of Columbus, Naples Florida: two $500 contributions (total $1000.00)
- 10/4/24 contribution from the Archdiocese of Miami: $62,000
- 10/11/24 contribution from the National Knights of Columbus: $250,000
- 10/21/24 contribution from the FL Conference of Catholic Bishops: $100,000
- 10/21/24 contribution from the National Knights of Columbus: $250,000
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Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to a person’s well-being and respect, and affirm the capacity of all people to make moral decisions about their lives.
