Catholic Church's Abortion Campaign Fails in Virginia

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Virginia voters have approved a constitutional amendment that expands access to abortion, despite a historic campaign led by the Catholic Church to block the measure. With 61 percent of the vote counted, NBC News called the election, confirming the amendment will become law. The New York Times also called the race shortly after.

The ballot question asks voters whether the Constitution of Virginia should be amended to protect the freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care. It also includes provisions to prohibit legal action against healthcare workers and patients for making these decisions and allows restrictions on abortion access during the third trimester, with exceptions for the health of the mother or if the pregnancy would not survive.

Catholic Church’s Direct Campaign

Protect Virginia 2026, the primary campaign committee opposing the proposition, was created directly by the Catholic Church in the commonwealth to inform voters of the Church’s opposition to the proposal. While the Church has maintained a doctrinal stance against abortion for at least 1,900 years, classifying it as a grave moral evil, the mobilization by Virginia’s Catholic dioceses is notable for taking the proposition head-on through a direct campaign against the amendment.

“This fall, we Virginians face a grave moral choice,” a July letter shared by the head of the Diocese of Richmond, Bishop Barry C. Knestout, said, calling the proposition “extreme” and “radical.” “As voters, we must recognize that laws shape culture and influence the protection of human rights,” Knestout said. “A society that fails to defend its most vulnerable members undermines the foundation of justice itself.”

The letter also highlighted the non-religious consequences of the amendment passing, including leaving parents out of the conversation about a minor’s abortion, opening the door for predators and human traffickers, denying babies who survive an abortion access to medical care, and allowing unqualified personnel to assist in abortions at the risk of the patient. “The amendment is not reproductive freedom. It is not compassion,” the bishop said. “Rather, it is a grave injustice that would cause great harm to the sisters, daughters, and friends in our communities.”

Knestout also directed all parishes statewide to read the letter during a September service. Some Virginia Catholics also organized voter registration drives at their parishes. However, the effort did not bear fruit, with the state’s most Catholic counties, Prince William County and Loudoun County, having voted to approve the amendment by over 40 points by the time of publication, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Source: Daily Caller