Massachusetts bishops condemn governor’s move to enact unrestricted abortion law despite 113,000 petition signatures
Caroline MolloyArchbishop Richard Henning of Boston and the three other Catholic bishops of Massachusetts issued a strong condemnation Nov. 7 of Democratic Gov. Maura Healey’s decision to use emergency executive authority to immediately implement one of the nation’s most permissive abortion laws, preventing a successful pro-life signature campaign from suspending the legislation until voters can decide its fate in 2028.
In a joint statement, the bishops challenged both the governor’s characterization of abortion as health care and her justification for declaring an emergency, after pro-life organizations submitted more than 113,000 signatures seeking to halt the law’s implementation.
“We respectfully and passionately disagree that abortion, the taking of human life, may be considered health care,” the bishops declared in their statement. “We also disagree that there is an emergency requiring the further expansion of the existing and already radically permissive law.”
The statement was signed by Archbishop Henning, Bishop William Byrne of Springfield, Bishop Robert McManus of Worcester and Bishop Edgar da Cunha of Fall River.
On Nov. 6, Healey signed an emergency preamble putting into immediate effect the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act, legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled Massachusetts Legislature in July and signed into law in August.
The measure eliminates previous statutory restrictions on abortions performed at or beyond 24 weeks of pregnancy, replacing them with a standard that leaves the decision to the professional judgment of a physician. Under the new law, abortions can be legally performed at any stage of pregnancy with a physician’s approval.
The governor’s intervention came as the Compassionate Care Coalition, led by Massachusetts Citizens for Life and Massachusetts Family Action, submitted 113,477 signatures certified by local election officials as part of its Repeal188 campaign.
Under Massachusetts law, opponents needed 49,719 valid signatures to temporarily suspend the legislation pending a statewide referendum, and 37,289 to place the repeal question before voters in November 2028.
The coalition’s submitted signatures exceeded both thresholds by substantial margins, although final statewide certification remained pending.
