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Massachusetts Bishops Rebuke Governor Over Expanded Abortion Law
Confirmed
In Short: The Catholic bishops of Massachusetts are pushing back on a decision by that state’s governor to expedite implementation of a controversial late-term abortion law, days after tens of thousands of voters called for putting the issue back on the ballot in 2028.
The bishops noted that Healey cited her Catholic faith in a 1,400-word Substack article justifying her decision to enact the abortion bill immediately.
The bishops disagreed, stating, 'Having read the Governor’s editorial defending her decision to override the results of the Repeal 188 efforts, we respectfully and passionately disagree that abortion, the taking of human life, may be considered health care.'
The initiative, launched in September by the Compassionate Care Coalition, seeks to overturn the law signed by Healey in August, which removed previous guardrails against late-term abortion, instead requiring only 'the professional judgment of the physician.'
The bishops also called for support for families, especially those in crisis, and to build a culture that supports and loves every member of the human family.
The new abortion law is considered extreme even by pro-choice standards, and Massachusetts’ citizens fought it.
Myrna Maloney Flynn, president of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, also issued a statement in response to the governor’s decision, saying, 'Governor Healey's preamble reflects an utter disregard for the men and women she was elected to represent.'
The Catholic bishops of Massachusetts are pushing back on a decision by that state’s governor to expedite implementation of a controversial late-term abortion law, days after tens of thousands of voters called for putting the issue back on the ballot in 2028.
Under Article 48 of the Massachusetts Constitution, the state’s governor can declare an act an emergency measure, overriding the automatic suspension triggered by the successful referendum petition.
The bishops’ message included a display of the organization’s traveling 'Truth About Choice' memorial, which depicts developing preborn children and represents the 49,450 babies lost to abortion in Massachusetts during 2024.
What this adds
The bishops' response highlights the deep divide within the Catholic community over abortion legislation.
The bishops' call for compassion and support for families underscores their broader pastoral concerns beyond the legal and ethical debates surrounding abortion.
What's confirmed
- “Today, thousands of voices have been raised in the defense of the sacred dignity of human life,” said the four Massachusetts bishops in an Oct. 29 message to the state’s clergy, religious and lay faithful.
- The conference included a display of the organization’s traveling “Truth About Choice” memorial, which depicts developing preborn children and represents the 49,450 babies lost to abortion in Massachusetts during 2024.
- The state’s bishops said the new “all-nine-months” abortion bill reflects a “utilitarian and merciless approach” to human life.
- In a 1,400-word Substack article, Healey justified her decision to enact the abortion bill immediately, citing her Catholicism.
- Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has attached an emergency preamble to the unrestricted abortion bill she signed in August, immediately removing all limitations on late-term abortions in the state.
What's still developing
- October 29, 2026 By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, World News (OSV News) — As the nation’s Catholics conclude Respect Life Month, Massachusetts pro-life advocates are challenging a new law in that state expanding abortion, and have collected nearly 100,000 voter signatures to put the issue back on the ballot in 2028.
- The 112,000 signatures of registered voters that pro-life leaders say they have collected is more than double the amount that would have been needed to suspend the bill if the governor had not acted.