Catholic bishops in Virginia have vowed to fight tooth-and-nail against a new abortion amendment in the state that would essentially remove all restrictions on the murder of pre-born children, saying they have “maximum determination” to see the measure defeated. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly what the overseers of Christ’s Church should be doing when it comes to political engagement. Whether you’re Catholic or not, believers in Christ should stand as one united front against the ritual killing of children that happens by the thousands every day in this country.
The proposed measure, which lawmakers have already passed in the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate, seeks to establish a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one’s own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.”
Anyone with even a slight ability to read between the lines of political jargon will instantly recognize this language as a more “civilized” way of saying Democrats want people to shed the blood of our most innocent and vulnerable citizens for any reason they deem fit. When a nation fails to protect this particular group of individuals, societal collapse is never far behind. A great deal is at stake in the abortion debate, chief among them preserving the right to life for souls created in the image of God. But that is not all we should worry about. A distant second is the survival of the Western way of life.
Bishops Michael Burbidge of Arlington and Barry Knestout of Richmond described the lightning-fast passage of the “Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment” early in the legislative session as “shocking to the conscience” in a statement they released last Friday.
After lawmakers passed the amendment in two back-to-back sessions, voters will now decide its fate on the November 3 general election ballot, where Virginians will either ratify or reject it. That vote means the people of the state will either bear responsibility for the blood of thousands of innocent children or one day earn recognition as heroes who saved lives and defended the principles upon which the nation was founded.
“The extreme abortion amendment, which will proceed to a referendum for voters to decide later this year, would go far beyond even what Roe v. Wade previously allowed,” the bishops said in their statement. “It would enshrine virtually unlimited abortion at any stage of pregnancy, with no age restriction.”
The bishops warned that the measure “would severely jeopardize Virginia’s parental consent law, health and safety standards for women, conscience protections for healthcare providers, and restrictions on taxpayer-funded abortions.”
“Most tragically of all, the extreme abortion amendment provides no protections whatsoever for preborn children,” the bishops continued. “(H)uman life is sacred. The lives of vulnerable mothers and their preborn children must always be welcomed, cared for, and protected.”
“Parental rights and the health and well-being of minors must be defended,” Bishops Burbidge and Knestout said. “So too must religious liberty. No one should ever be forced to pay for or participate in an abortion. Health and safety should be enhanced, not diminished.”
In a separate statement released the day before, Bishop Burbidge urged the faithful in his diocese to “pray, fast, and advocate for the cause of life” in response to “looming threats” that he said “represent a serious moral and social regression.”
“Prayer opens our hearts to God’s wisdom and strengthens us to act with courage and charity,” the bishop said. “Fasting makes reparation for sin and reminds us that true freedom is found not in self-indulgence but in self-gift. Advocacy allows us to bring our convictions into the public square with respect, clarity, and perseverance.”
“Our response as Catholics—and as citizens committed to justice—must be rooted in faith, truth, and love,” he added.
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