Roman Catholic bishops in Florida are asking Florida Gov. Rick Scott to stop an execution set for Wednesday.

A letter sent to the governor on Monday was signed by seven bishops. They're asking Scott to commute Robert Waterhouse's death sentence to life in prison. And they want Scott to stop signing death warrants.

The letter said the bishops are "concerned with the increased pace" of executions in Florida. Waterhouse's death warrant was the third signed by Scott since he took office in January 2011.

The 65-year-old Waterhouse is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Florida State Prison near Starke. He was convicted in 1980 of raping and killing a 29-year-old mother in St. Petersburg.