Catholic Conference of Ohio
Monday, February 17, 2025

Issues - Catholic Conference of Ohio

Abortion

The right to life, from conception to its natural end, is the condition for the exercise of all other rights and, in particular, implies the illicitness of every form of procured abortion and of euthanasia. (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, # 155).

Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person — among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life. Catechism of the Catholic Church(#2270).

The Catholic Conference of Ohio encourages the enactment of effective laws that will provide maximum protection for unborn persons.

Legislation often involves prudential judgments as to the most effective and timely means for advancing the protection of unborn children. The Catholic Conference of Ohio remains committed to carefully reviewing such legislation, and assisting in efforts aimed at resolving differences related to specific language and strategies.  In the end, the Catholic Conference of Ohio desires passage of legislation that can withstand constitutional challenge and be implemented in order to save lives.


 Resources


 

New Legislation: Prohibit State-Funded Death

The Catholic Conference of Ohio participated in a press conference today to introduce a new bill prohibiting state funding that intentionally terminates human life at any stage and circumstance in Ohio.

Bills to prohibit state-funded death will soon be introduced in the Ohio Senate, led by Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Senator Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), and in the Ohio House of Representatives, led by Representative Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Representative Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland). Both bills reinforce current law banning state funding for abortion, abolish the death penalty, and expand protections against assisted suicide by linking these prohibitions together. Uniting the state’s prohibition on funding any one of these practices protects current pro-life laws, especially from future litigation, by binding them to broader bans on state funding. The bill places each provision in the same category in the Ohio Revised Code. While these issues have strong opinions on their own, the bills seek consensus that Ohioans’ tax dollars should not fund practices that they believe immorally end a human life. 

Click 'Read more' for details.

CCO Testifies in Support of HB 475 on State and Local Funding of Abortion Providers

The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified in support of House Bill 475 which ensures state and local funds are not directly or indirectly used by any entity that supports, promotes, or provides elective abortions. Our faith calls us to build a civilization of love in which each woman’s pregnancy is supported by her community, including local and state governments. In no circumstance should state dollars, even by subsidy, bring about the termination of a human life. HB 475 will encourage Ohio communities to invest in a culture that empowers and supports women without compromising the dignity of the unborn.

Click “Read more” for the full testimony.

CCO Statement on Preliminary Injunction on 24-hour Waiting Period

Brian Hickey, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Ohio, issued the following statement regarding the preliminary injunction for Ohio's mandatory 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion.

"The decision to grant a preliminary injunction for Ohio’s 24-hour waiting law shows a callous disregard for the seriousness of a woman's situation who is considering an abortion. We know that most abortions, the intentional killing of a human being living in the womb, are unwanted or coerced. With this decision, women will be pressured into having an abortion against their will and without opportunities for coercion screening. It also cheats a woman in need of the opportunity to learn about the people available to accompany her and resources to assist her during her pregnancy and after the birth of her child. The Catholic Church throughout Ohio remains committed to providing the care and support pregnant women in need fear they will lack if they choose life."

CCO Testified in Support of SB 159 for a Tax Credit for Donations to Pregnancy Resource Centers

The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified this week in support of Senate Bill 159, which would authorize a tax credit for donations made to pregnancy resource centers. Studies in Ohio have shown that black women and women of low socio-economic status are more likely to visit a pregnancy resource center. Given the plight of maternal health outcomes in Ohio by race and class, it is obvious that pregnancy resource centers are invaluable institutions serving women most in need. SB 159 would encourage directing funds to organizations whose efforts to support women with material resources, counseling, and personal accompaniment are a heroic witness to the dignity of women and their preborn children.  

Click "Read more" for the full testimony.

Catholic Bishops of Ohio Statement on Passing of Issue 1

 The Catholic Bishops of Ohio issued the following statement regarding the passing of Issue 1:

Today is a tragic day for women, children, and families in Ohio. We mourn that the dignity of human life remains concealed by the duplicity of a culture of death. Though this is a day of sorrow, we are never without hope. St. Paul tells us that it is in hope that we were saved and, “if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.”

Asking for God’s protection and mercy, we must look ahead. Despite the obstacles this amendment presents, the Catholic Church in Ohio will continue to work for policies that defend the most vulnerable, strengthen the child-parent relationship, and support women in need. As we pray for the conversion of minds and hearts to the gospel of life, we recommit ourselves to defending children in the womb and supporting women in need. The Catholic Church and faithful will never grow weary in our mission to help women and families flourish through ministries such as Walking with Moms in Need and other local organizations that provide material and spiritual support and through advocacy with policymakers.

We, the Catholic Bishops of Ohio, are grateful to the Catholic faithful, clergy, and all people of goodwill whose actions in this campaign demonstrated our commitment to honoring and upholding the dignity of life. Your sacrifices prove that the Church will never abandon her mission to support human life. We will persevere in this mission until every preborn child is protected, every pregnant woman is supported, and every human life receives respect, dignity, and justice.

Click "Read more" below to view the full statement with the bishops' signatures in English. Read the statement in Spanish by clicking here.

Mass for Life - October 6 at 9am

Followed by Ohio March for Life

Join the Catholic Conference of Ohio for the Mass for Life:
Friday, October 6 at 9:00am
St. Joseph Cathedral, Downtown Columbus
Celebrated by Bishop Earl Fernandes

The Ohio March for Life starts at 11am right down the street at the Ohio Statehouse. Damascus Worship will kick off with a pre-rally concert at 10am. Speakers include: Bishop Earl Fernandes, Senator Kristina Roegner, Representative Melanie Miller, and more. 

CCO on 2023 November Ballot Issues 1 and 2

The Catholic Conference of Ohio firmly opposes Issue 1, which would enshrine the “right” to abortion in the Ohio Constitution. This extreme amendment endangers the health and safety of women, threatens parental rights, and allows for abortion through all nine months of pregnancy.

The Catholic Church has always advocated for and acted to protect the most vulnerable in society, including the indigent, migrants, and preborn children in the womb. We will continue to do so by explaining the harms Issue 1 poses to women, parents, and babies with Catholics and all people of goodwill across Ohio and encourage a no vote on this egregious proposal. Ohioans deserve just laws which provide expansive resources and accompaniment to mothers and young families, not proposals like Issue 1 which does nothing to support women.

The Catholic Conference of Ohio also opposes Issue 2 to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio.

Click "Read more" to view CCO resources to defeat Issue 1.

2023 “People of Life” Awards

Recognizing the Work of Champions of Pro-Life Cause

Three champions of the pro-life cause were honored on July 17 at the 2023 People of Life awards during the annual Diocesan Pro-Life Leadership Conference in Toledo, Ohio. This year's honorees are Margaret H. (Peggy) Hartshorn, Ph.D. (from Columbus, Ohio), Aurora Tinajero, and Dr. Kathryn Moseley. Approximately 80 diocesan Catholic pro-life leaders and guests attended the private awards dinner, including Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities. Also in attendance was Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, and Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus.

The People of Life award recognizes Catholics who have answered the call outlined by Saint John Paul II in The Gospel of Life (Evangelium vitae, 1995) by dedicating themselves to pro-life activities and promoting respect for the dignity of the human person. It is bestowed in honor of their significant and longtime contributions to the culture of life.

U.S. Bishops’ President and Pro-Life Chairman Respond to Senate Vote on Veterans Affairs Abortion Rule

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a joint statement in response to the U.S. Senate's rejection of a Congressional Review Act resolution that would overturn an interim final rule from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) which added abortion to veterans' and dependents' health benefits packages.

Click "Read More" to view the statement.

U.S. Bishops’ Pro-Life Chairman on Chemical Abortion Drug Ruling by Circuit Court

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, provided a statement in response to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit partially upholding a recent district court ruling to reverse preliminarily the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s loosening of access and safety standards for the abortion drug, mifepristone. 

Click "Read More" to view the statement.