A Catholic organization is pressing Massachusetts bishops to act against Democratic Gov. Maura Healey after she signed a new law that will eliminate the state’s previous restrictions on abortions after 24 weeks, making Massachusetts the 10th state to permit the procedure up to birth.
“To weaponize Catholic virtues, to weaponize Christian virtues in the defense of something so egregiously contrary to the faith is a new moment in the political landscape and in the way in which bishops should deal with politicians,” CatholicVote president and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt told Fox News Digital.
CatholicVote is urging Massachusetts bishops to determine whether Healey, who is Catholic, incurred automatic excommunication under canon law and, if so, formally declare it.
In a letter to the bishops, Reinhardt argued that Healey should be considered an “accomplice” in abortion under Catholic canon law and that her actions warrant formal discipline.
The law, signed by Healey in mid-August and set to take effect Nov. 8, will allow abortions beyond the state’s previous restrictions based on a physician’s professional judgment, reigniting a decades-old fight over how Catholic leaders should respond to Democratic politicians whose support for abortion rights conflicts with Church teaching.
LATE-TERM ABORTION TAKES FRONT SEAT AS BLUE STATE RUSHES TO EXPAND ACCESS BEFORE SESSION ENDS
While Catholic politicians have repeatedly faced condemnation, warnings and calls for consequences, formal discipline from bishops has been uneven — a divide CatholicVote says Healey’s latest move should force Church leaders to confront.
“We’ve seen generations of Catholic politicians now claim this same exception,” Reinhardt said, referring to politicians who say they are personally opposed to abortion while supporting abortion rights. “It gave cover for too many years and now that cover is no longer possible.”
Bishop Robert Barron, who leads the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota, sharply condemned the new Massachusetts law and the celebration surrounding its signing.
“Please understand what this means. A fully-formed child, moments before exiting the birth canal, can be eviscerated, chopped into pieces, have its head crushed or skin burned off,” said the bishop in an X post.
“What I found particularly gross was the reaction of the entirely female crowd around the female governor of Massachusetts as she signed this barbaric provision into law,” he said, referencing those surrounding Healey during the signing.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee reposted the bishop’s comments, highlighting, “They were clapping and cackling with delight because what can only be called infanticide can now be practiced with impunity in their state” along with “[microphone emoji] dropped.”
Barron’s condemnation reignited a broader conversation over whether Catholic bishops should move beyond public criticism and impose consequences on Catholic politicians who champion abortion rights in defiance of Church teaching.
“It’s left entirely to the bishops,” Reinhardt said, adding that when politicians are allowed to publicly take positions “so contrary to the faith,” it “creates confusion for people in the pews.”
Both Reinhardt and Barron referenced previous examples invoking former New York Governor Mario Cuomo’s 1984 Notre Dame speech.
At the time, Cuomo said that Catholic politicians could personally accept the Church’s opposition to abortion without necessarily imposing that belief through civil law.
WHAT MY SON’S ULTRASOUND TAUGHT ME ABOUT ABORTION — AND MASSACHUSETTS IGNORES
“We’ve seen generations of Catholic politicians now claim this same exception,” said Reinhardt.
Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was barred from receiving Holy Communion in the Archdiocese of San Francisco by Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone in 2022 because of her public support for abortion rights.
“It’s certainly a tool that bishops have in their legislative disciplinary toolbox, which is to say, you know, actually you’ve found yourself in a state of grave sin because you’ve publicly advocated for this so I can no longer give you the Holy Sacrament,” said Reinhardt.
Fox News Digital reached out to Healey’s office and Massachusetts Catholic bishops for comment.
‘Barbaric’ abortion provision fuels Christian push to crack down on Dem governor 2026
IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-08-23 11:26:07
Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
