The Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Daytona Beach will host Cities for Life on Tuesday, Nov. 30.
The annual event gathers the faithful to pray for the abolition of the death penalty.
Abolishing Death Penalty
In a report with The Florida Catholic, the event will take place at 6 p.m. at the grotto. It will also serve as a funeral and wake service for the condemned awaiting their execution date.
An invited speaker will also talk about the death penalty.
According to the church's Facebook page, the church will join other churches worldwide to pray for the dignity of life.
Father Phil Egitto stressed the importance of abolishing the death penalty, the Florida Catholic report noted. The Catholic priest is the church's pastor.
He reminded Catholics that the annual event is a statement that God made everyone in His image and likeness.
He told the news outlet that the global campaign serves as a message that everyone has the sanctity of being God's creations.
Egitto pointed out that God also created those who were in Death Row. Human life, he said, is sacred no matter how many bad things people do.
The priest explained that the church would light up the grotto during the event. Doing so would draw more people to their event and learn about the dignity of life.
Cities for Life
According to a Catholic Mobilizing Network report, the event is a global campaign led by the Community of Sant'Egidio.
The report said that around 2,000 cities in over 80 countries celebrate the International Day of Cities for Life.
It commemorates the first abolition of capital punishment in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in 1786, the report bared.
Cities, churches, and communities from around the world are reportedly calling to end the death penalty.
According to the same report, participating communities would illuminate an important monument on that day.
The monument would serve as a "living logo" of the city's commitment to advocating for a world without the death penalty.
'Death Penalty Violates Human Rights'
The Community of Sant'Egidio website said that the death penalty must be abolished.
The website called the death penalty a violation of human rights. It also said that capital punishment represented a form of torture.
The community said it legitimates and perpetuates violence. The website added that political, ethnic, and religious minorities were often targeted.
According to the website, the community visits prisoners on Death Row. They make sure to keep in touch with the convicts and foster relationships with them.
The community said many of the convicted criminals got a Death Row sentence because of judicial errors, the same report revealed.
Working Together to End Death Penalty
In a report with Vatican News, most nations have abolished the death penalty. Nonetheless, countries like Saudi Arabia, some areas of the United States, India, China, Egypt, and Indonesia still impose capital punishment.
The Colosseum in Rome will be the first monument to be lit.
Other cities in the United States will also join in the event. These cities include Boston, Berkeley, and West Hollywood.
The Community of Sant’Egidio first launched the global campaign in 2002. It collaborated with Amnesty International and the International Federation of Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (FIACAT).
Today, the initiative has attracted some 80 cities globally and the number reportedly keeps on growing annually.
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