Leaders of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference (USCCB) have written a letter to Congress with policy recommendations urging support for human life at all its stages.
The letter, dated October 26, declares that the post-Roe world presents a “historic opportunity to redouble efforts toward a culture of life that respects and supports the dignity of every person at every stage.”
The bishops implore Congress “to place a high priority on policies that advance the health, safety, and flourishing of women, children, and families.”
The Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case is an “extraordinary step forward in our nation’s journey to respect the dignity of every person,” the bishops note, adding that they “hope for the day when abortion is unthinkable because society has successfully reckoned with the challenges of raising children in the modern world and has decided to make the full flourishing of children and their families the highest goal, without anyone being excluded.”
Anti-abortion supporters rallied at the Capitol during the California March for Life held in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
The legal protection of human life must be accompanied by “profound care for mothers and their children, the bishops assert, which means prioritizing “the well-being of women, children, and families with both material resources and personal accompaniment so that no woman ever feels forced to choose between her future and the life of her child.”
Policies should aim at ensuring “that no children grow up in poverty, that parents have time away from work to care for them, that families are formed and remain intact, that the healthcare necessary for healthy moms and children is affordable, that workplace policies respect pregnant and nursing mothers,” they insist.
Government should also work so that “childcare is affordable and high quality but also not forced on families by financial pressures, that no children are hungry or homeless, that toxic chemicals do not cause babies to have birth defects or cancer, that immigrant families be treated in accord with their inviolable dignity,” they add.
The bishops end their letter by urging members of the Senate and the House “to work together to find bipartisan solutions” to difficulties experienced by families, in particular “pregnant and single parenting women in need, so that they will have the support, comfort, and hope that they require to build their lives for the better and realize their aspirations.”
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