Catholic Bishops of Texas Call for Prayer, Action on Abortion Legislation
July 11, 2013
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We, the Roman Catholic Bishops of Texas, are asking that each and every one of our friends in the pro-life community to join us this week in prayer and action to protect the lives of the unborn in our state. We make this call because time is of the essence. To succeed, our voices must be heard by state lawmakers in acting to reverse the culture of death that continues to seep into our society.
As you know, the Texas Legislature has had intense, and at times acrimonious, debate recently over legislation to protect the health, safety, and dignity of life—both the life of the child in the womb and the life of the woman enduring the abortion. Current legislation under consideration takes a common sense approach to improving facility standards to address abortion complications, requires compliance with FDA standards for distributing the abortion drug RU- 486, requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, and prohibits abortion after five months of pregnancy, when scientific evidence shows babies can feel pain.
In the wake of the reported horrors performed by abortionists in Houston, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, these proposals are clear in protecting both the child and the mother; both of whom are precious children of God and thus deserving of protection to their health and safety even during the most tragic of circumstances.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to an end to the tragedy of abortion. Abortion is death. Christ came to conquer death. As Jesus proclaims in the Gospels, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). Until the day when the tragedy of abortion has ended , we have a responsibility to ensure that these abortion facilities meet basic, reasonable standards of medical intervention when these procedures go wrong.
Over the next week, please stay apprised of the events in Austin and try to come to the Capitol to testify on behalf of our faith and our beliefs. If you are unable to make the trip, please take a moment to contact your representative and senator to let them know of your desire to see these pro-life proposals pass and be sent to the governor for his signature.
Above all, please join us, your Texas bishops, in praying intently and faithfully for the end to the practice of abortion and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide the hearts of lawmakers as they consider this important legislation.
Sincerely in Christ,
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo
Archdiocese of Galveston Houston
Archbishop Gustavo GarcÃa-Siller, M. Sp.S.
Archdiocese of San Antonio
Bishop Patrick J. Zurek S.T.L.
Diocese of Amarillo
Bishop Joe S. Vásquez
Diocese of Austin
Wm. Michael Mulvey, S.T.L., DD
Diocese of Corpus Christi
Bishop David E. Fellhauer
Diocese of Victoria
Bishop Plácido RodrÃguez, C.M.F.
Diocese of Lubbock
Bishop Joseph E. Strickland
Diocese of Tyler
Bishop Curtis Guillory, S.V.D.
Diocese of Beaumont
Bishop Daniel E. Flores, S.T.D.
Diocese of Brownsville
Bishop Kevin Farrell
Diocese of Dallas
Michael D. Pfeifer, O.M.I., DD
Diocese of San Angelo
Bishop Mark Seitz
Diocese of El Paso