Florida bishops challenge Catholics to act on behalf of farmworkers

Published: 2007-01-04

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CNS) -- Challenging Catholics and all people of good will to "see where love is needed and act accordingly," Florida's bishops urged consideration of how everything from consumer decisions to government policies affect the state's most vulnerable workers. The bishops' new pastoral letter, titled "Honoring the Dignity of Work: A Call for Solidarity With Florida's Farmworkers and Other Vulnerable Workers," calls for specific actions by individual Catholics and families, parishes, Catholic institutions, government agencies and others. "This is an appropriate time to call attention to the human dignity of people from many backgrounds and nations -- particularly people from Mexico and Central America, but also Haitians, African-Americans, Puerto Ricans, Vietnamese and others -- who have come to Florida to work in agriculture, our second-largest industry," said Bishop John H. Ricard of Pensacola-Tallahassee at a Dec. 11 press conference in Tallahassee. The document -- a publication of the Florida Catholic Conference, the bishops' lobbying arm -- was written in response to situations affecting farmworkers identified at an October 2005 Farmworker Forum.

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