A Message from Archbishop Henning, Bishop McManus, Bishop da Cunha, and Bishop Byrne for the Clergy, Religious, and Lay Faithful of Massachusetts

Archbishop Henning, Bishop McManus, Bishop da Cunha, and Bishop Byrne issued a joint message to the clergy, religious, and lay faithful of Massachusetts criticizing the recently passed Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act. The bishops described the law as a tragedy that permits abortion throughout pregnancy for any reason and allows these procedures to occur in non-hospital settings.

The bishops stated that the law puts pregnant mothers and unborn children at risk and noted that Catholic legislators who helped pass the act caused grave scandal. They argued the legislation falsely teaches that certain human beings are not worthy of life and suggests that motherhood is incompatible with a woman's well-being.

In the message, the bishops referenced an appeal made by Pope Leo XIV during his June visit to Spain, in which he called for the protection of human dignity and life from conception to natural death. To support families, the bishops noted a 2023 study in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science suggesting that 60% of women considering abortion would choose life if they received more material and emotional support.