Photo courtesy of the Archbishop of Boston OfficeLatin Catholic Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Seán O’Malley, spoke out to raise awareness of the “extreme consequences” for the protection of life that new legislation proposed by some representatives might have if not rejected in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
In a public statement posted in the Catholic Conference website, O’Malley argued that bills H.3320 and S.1209 was described as a means of protecting the provisions of the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, but they “go far beyond that decision and take us in dangerous directions.”
“The bills are threatening to human life and dignity and should, in my judgement, be opposed even by those who support the Roe v. Wade decision,” Cardinal Seán states.
According to the Latin Catholic leader, the proposed legislation would “allow abortion in Massachusetts during all nine months of pregnancy; eliminate the requirement to make efforts to care for a child who survives an attempted abortion; eliminate any requirement that a pregnant minor (under 18) have any adult consent (parental or through the courts) before undergoing an abortion;” among others.
The Archbishop says that he address the proposed legislation from a perspective of human rights, not religiously, the same way he speaks to other human rights issues such as “welcoming immigrants to our country, supporting a strong social safety net for the poor and the call for racial justice.”
“We do not seek to judge or blame individuals, particularly women and families faced with excruciatingly difficult pregnancies,” O’Malley says, but states that “the unborn children who will be most directly impacted by the proposals deserve to have their lives protected.”
