My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

On Sept, 15, 2021, Pope Francis stated in no uncertain terms, “Abortion is murder. .,, whoever performs an abortion kills. … It’s a human life, period.” The Holy Father added, “Scientifically, it is a human life. Is it right to take it out to solve a problem? That is why the Church is so harsh on this issue, because if it accepts this, it is as if it accepts daily murder.”

So, it is very disturbing that just a few days later, on Sept. 24, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 218-211 in favor of an abortion bill with the misnomer, “Women’s Health Protection Act” (WHPA), which misrepresents the reality that it has nothing to do with protecting women’s health and hides the fact that is has everything to do with promoting abortion. The WHPA would impose abortion on demand nationwide at any stage of pregnancy through federal statute and invalidate state laws banning abortion at any stage of pregnancy, including laws that require parental notification and that prohibit abortion based on race, sex, disability, or other characteristic. The WHPA would also threaten state and federal conscience laws that protect the right of health care providers and professionals, employers, and insurers not to perform, assist in, refer for, cover, or pay for abortion.

President Joe Biden’s Administration “strongly supports House passage of H.R. 3755, the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021.” In light of Pope Francis’ unambiguous statement that “abortion is murder,” it must be said that Joe Biden is an accomplice to murder.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi expressed her support for this bill, praising it as “legislation that can become law.” Nancy Pelosi is an accomplice to murder.

U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin of Illinois have signed on as co-sponsors of this abortion legislation. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin are accomplices to murder.

Governor J.B. Pritzker spoke inside the Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Aurora on Sept. 14, 2021, urging Congress to pass the proposed federal law promoting abortion. He has also indicated that he wants to gut the Illinois Right of Conscience Act that currently protects doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care workers from being forced to perform or assist at abortions or dispense abortifacient drugs. J.B. Pritzker is an accomplice to murder.

These politicians are also fond of saying “follow the science.” Well, as Pope Francis has pointed out, science tells us that human life begins at conception, so proponents of easy access to abortion are not following the science, but are basing their arguments on purely political grounds.

Please note that I am not calling out these pro-abortion politicians in order to condemn them, but rather to call them to conversion. Please pray for them to have a change of heart, so that instead of condemning unborn babies to death, they will seek their protection and give them a chance to live, as you and I have been blessed by God to live out our lives here on earth.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has posted a fact sheet and an action alert with an online form to tell your congressional representatives of your opposition to the “Women’s Health Protection Act” (H.R. 3755/S. 1975). Please make your opinion known to them.

October is Respect Life Month. Our annual diocesan Respect Life Mass will take place at Holy Family Parish Church in Granite City at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9, followed by our rosary walk to the Granite City abortion facility. Please join us in solidarity to pray for this abortion facility to close. Please pray throughout this month of October for the protection of human life from conception to natural death.

May God give us this grace. Amen.