Memo to priests and deacons from Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer dated July 2, 2021:
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has launched a campaign for Catholics to raise their voices on behalf of women. The goal is for millions of Catholics to sign the petition on NoTaxpayerAbortion.com by Friday, July 16, 2021.
I invite the people of your parish to join our diocesan response to this nationwide effort. Its success and the lives of countless people depend on each of us doing our part.
Some influential members of Congress want to take away the Hyde Amendment so taxpayer dollars will pay for abortions for poor women.
When our government offers a woman a free abortion instead of the resources she needs to care for her baby, it is not “choice” but coercion. Taxpayer dollars would be far better spent supporting women in crisis pregnancies and struggling new mothers so that no woman ever feels economic pressure to have an abortion.
The Hyde Amendment has been credited with saving over 2.4 million lives, and without it, the current abortion rate would likely go up significantly.
Because of the incredibly high stakes, Congress needs to hear from a massive number of people before it votes on taxpayer-funded abortion during the second half of July. If we fail to generate sufficient grassroots support for the Hyde Amendment, Congress may conclude that taxpayer funded abortion is popular.