(OSV News) -- As the nation's Catholics conclude Respect Life Month, Massachusetts pro-life advocates are challenging a new law in that state expanding abortion, and have collected nearly 100,000 voter signatures to put the issue back on the ballot in 2028.
"There's still a significant number of people here in this state that -- even if they might see themselves as pro-choice to one degree or another -- believe that this bill was too extreme and unjust," Archbishop Richard G. Henning of Boston told OSV News.
The archbishop and fellow Massachusetts Bishops William D. Byrne of Springfield, Edgar M. da Cunha of Fall River and Robert J. McManus of Worcester were among the faith leaders supporting Repeal188.
The initiative, launched in September by the Compassionate Care Coalition, seeks to overturn a law signed by Gov. Maura Healey in August that removed previous guardrails against late-term abortion, instead requiring only "the professional judgment of the physician."
The effort's name references the chapter of the state's session law in which the new legislation, titled "An Act Prioritizing Patient Access to Care," is found.
Among the organizations supporting Repeal188 are Massachusetts Family Action, Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Massachusetts Family Institute, Democrats for Life of America and the Cape Cod Pro-Life Alliance.
"Today, thousands of voices have been raised in the defense of the sacred dignity of human life," said the four Massachusetts bishops in an Oct. 29 message to the state's clergy, religious and lay faithful. "As pastors, we raised our voices in opposition to the bill and in favor of the beauty of life. Every child is a gift, and every person deserves a chance to live."
A 'grassroots' effort for close to 100,000 certified signatures
The petition tally of 99,962 certified signatures -- surpassing the 49,716 required to suspend the law -- was announced at an Oct. 29 press conference held at the Massachusetts Statehouse and hosted by Massachusetts Citizens for Life.
The conference included a display of the organization's traveling "Truth About Choice" memorial, which depicts developing preborn children and represents the 49,450 babies lost to abortion in Massachusetts during 2024.
Sam Miele, chair of the Coalition for Compassionate Care, stressed that total does not include signatures still being counted and presented.
He commended Massachusetts' Catholic bishops for their support.
"All four bishops of the Roman Catholic Church here in the state stood with us publicly," he said. "They declared support for this referendum petition, encouraging every parish to get involved."
Miele also recognized "the hundreds of Protestant churches across the state who did the same."
"The backbone of this effort was faithful men and women and children recognizing the dignity of human life," he said.
Archbishop Henning noted that the bishops had "worked with our pastors across the entire state" to ensure the faithful had the information needed" to participate in the referendum signature collection campaign, which had to be conducted according to strict state law protocols.
"The majority of the parishes" in Massachusetts "participated in the efforts over a couple of weekends to collect as many signatures as possible," said the archbishop.
"We bishops felt the law was so extreme that we needed to do something concrete that would signal to the political leadership there are still pro-life voices in Massachusetts, and they should be heard," Archbishop Henning said.
Bishop Byrne told OSV News he was "excited, relieved and overjoyed at the response of our parishioners, who so strongly endorsed and helped organize this at the most grassroots level."
Speaking at the press conference, Miele noted that Gov. Healey has "the constitutional authority" to issue an emergency preamble that would "make the law go into effect immediately," overriding the law's petition-triggered suspension.
"Maura Healey, I call on you to have the faith and the courage to allow the people and to trust the people that you represent," said Miele, who along with volunteers delivered several boxes of certified signatures to the Massachusetts secretary of state following the press conference.
New law is 'tantamount to infanticide'
Prior to the press conference, Archbishop Henning told OSV News that it was "still not entirely clear why" the newly approved law was "brought so quickly to the fore, given that the law in Massachusetts was already exceedingly permissive."
Healey, who is a Catholic, and supporters of the law had stressed its intention to help women experiencing serious late-term pregnancy complications, with the governor citing their need to travel out of state for abortions amid "unimaginable grief" and financial cost.
Archbishop Henning said presenting the law as an aid to women facing difficult late-term pregnancies was "a bit of a misrepresentation."
"I don't think that was the purpose of the law," said the archbishop. "I think it was a political move in an election year."
The archbishop saw he and his fellow bishops had heard from both the faithful and "even legislators who were upset about the process" by which the law was swiftly passed.
Lawmakers, including "some who would have described themselves as pro-choice, were scandalized by how extreme this bill was," said Archbishop Henning.
"If we believe that the child inside is human -- and I'm not sure anyone can make a scientific argument it's anything other than human -- then we have the obligation to seek healthcare for both the mother and the child," he said. "Any woman who is in those circumstances, not only physical ones, but economic and emotional, we need to be a Church and a community and support them."
Bishop da Cunha said that in practice the new law was "for anyone who wished to terminate a pregnancy" in its later stages "for any reason."
"We are very sympathetic with women who have health issues for difficulties in pregnancy," he said. "There are many other ways to deal with that. The Church and medical sciences can help; we have so many options and supports."
Bishop McManus described the new law as "horribly immoral" and "tantamount to infanticide."
"What was so shocking is that there were no limitations, no brakes that could be applied," said Bishop Byrne.
"I think our people said, 'Enough is enough,'" said Bishop McManus. "Even people who might, in casual conversation, describe themselves as pro-choice -- I think some of them had examined their consciences on this issue and supported the Church's effort to end this craziness. I think in this case, the devil overplayed his hand."
Bishop da Cunha reflected that the signature collection "says a lot about how people feel about the value of life, what the Church has been teaching and what the pope has been reminding us of -- that every person is a child of God, and ought to be given a chance to live."
