The Catholic bishops of Ohio issued a letter to all Ohio Senators and Representatives asking them to support legislation to end Ohio's death penalty. The Catholic Church worldwide continuously seeks the full protection of the law for human life from conception to natural death. Read the letter here.

Make your voice heard and urge your state legislators to support Senate Bill 101 and House Bill 259 to abolish the death penalty in Ohio. Use the following action alerts to easily send a message:

• Action Alert for SB 101 - Contact Your Senator
• Action Alert for HB 259 - Contact Your Representative

In addition, CCO testified in support of HB 259 to abolish the death penalty. Catholic opposition to the death penalty is rooted in our teaching that every human being bears the image of God, regardless of the stage of life or circumstance. From the preborn, to the indigent, to the man on death row, the Catholic Church insists that every single human life deserves justice, respect, and mercy. It is the unequivocal teaching of the Catholic faith that the death penalty is “inadmissible.”  

Lawmakers are currently weighing budget proposals (House Bill 33) to dramatically increase the availability of school choice scholarships such as EdChoice, which currently provides up to $5,500 per eligible pupil in grades K-8 and $7,500 for grades 9-12. 

Click "Take Action" to send a message to your state representatives and let them know the benefits of making EdChoice scholarships available to all.

Take Action

The Catholic Conference of Ohio supports SB 11 (Enact the Parental Education Freedom Act), which would allow every student in the state of Ohio the opportunity to receive an EdChoice Scholarship. For decades, the Catholic Conference of Ohio and the Catholic Church nationwide have led advocacy for expanding school choice to allow more students of all backgrounds and income levels to attend Catholic schools. We must uphold public policies that strengthen the family as the central social institution of society.

Click below to take action and ask your Ohio Senator to support SB 11 and expand EdChoice Scholarships to all Ohio students.

Take Action

The Catholic Conference of Ohio is developing a new advocacy alert and newsletter system to help keep you up to date with the latest happenings at the Ohio Statehouse. This system allows you to write legislators, and keep up with news and policy information provided by the Conference. All we need to get you started is your email and zip code. 

Click on read more to sign up today.

Catholic Conference of Ohio Executive Director Jerry Freewalt testified in support of HB 598, the Human Life Protection Act. This legislation would help Ohio further a culture of life and a community of care that allows each person to flourish no matter their circumstance or stage of development. With representatives from other pro-life organizations, medical, and legal professionals proponents of the legislation offered their support for a bill that would ensure that every child, at every moment of existence, receives love and the protection of the law. 

Use our Action Alerts to get involved and let your elected officials know that you support life from conception to natural death.

Today, the U.S. Senate failed to advance the Women’s Health Protection Act, S. 4132. This bill would have imposed abortion on demand nationwide at any stage of pregnancy through federal statute and would have eliminated pro-life laws at every level of government -- including parental notification for minor girls, informed consent, and health or safety protections specific to abortion facilities. S. 4132 also would have compelled all Americans to support abortions here and abroad with their tax dollars and would have also likely forced health care providers and professionals to perform, assist in, and/or refer for abortion against their deeply-held beliefs, as well as forced employers and insurers to cover or pay for abortion.  

Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities and Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty, issued the following statement: 

In response to the leak of a draft opinion in the Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, majority leader Sen. Chuck Schumer has scheduled another Senate vote to try to enshrine abortion on demand in federal law through the so-called Women’s Health Protection Act, S. 4132. The vote will be held next Wednesday (May 11) and is the second time this year that a vote on the bill will take place. The Senate held a vote on February 28 to advance this bill, and that vote failed.

We need to send an unmistakable message to the Senate that this horrible bill must never be enacted. Join Archbishop Lori, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities and Cardinal Dolan, chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty in urging the Senate to oppose S. 4132

Check out the chairmen’s letter and this fact sheet to learn more about this radical bill. Please also check out and amplify this statement, issued by Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and chairmen of USCCB committees serving women and families, in anticipation of the Supreme Court of the United States issuing its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

As a believer in the dignity and worth of every human person, no matter the circumstances or stage of development, the Catholic Conference of Ohio is urging legislators to support HB 598, the Human Life Protection Act. The legislation gives a preborn child legal protection from harm during his or her development if the U.S. Supreme Court gives states the ability to protect women and children from the injustice of abortion. By supporting HB 598, we can affirm the value of every human life and welcome the possibility of saving countless unborn children. 

Click below to use our new advocacy portal to write your legislator and let them know you support HB 598!

According to Catholic teaching, the family is "the most basic form of human community," and therefore is "intimately linked" to the long-term future of our nation. The Child Tax Credit is an economic and social policy that supports the strength and stability of family life. Last year, more than 36 million families received a monthly payment through the expanded Child Tax Credit program to help make ends meet. Join us in asking Congress to continue the Child Tax Credit so that our economic and social policies reflect our desire to promote the family.

The call from Pope Francis to address the cry of the earth through sustainable climate investment requires our action. Join us in supporting tax incentives to support existing and emerging technologies in clean energy, resilience investments focused on protecting low-income and minority communities, and incentives to decarbonize the economy. 

See more information and contact your federal officials HERE. The Catholic Conference of Ohio advocates for more support for Ohio families and policies to promote care for our common home.