Pro-life toolkit, abortion pill info available for parishes

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities has provided a pro-life toolkit and an abortion pill question-and-answer sheet to assist parishes with education and pastoral care. The resources follow the Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities, which organizes efforts into prayer and worship, public information and education, public policy, and pastoral care.

Some parishes in the Diocese of Camden are using the toolkit within their Respect Life ministries. Dr. Michael Sims, director of the Diocese of Camden’s Office of Life and Justice Ministries, noted that medication abortions involving mifepristone and misoprostol, often via telemedicine, accounted for 63% of formal clinician-provided abortions in the United States in 2023, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Dr. Sims stated that these medications can be used up to 10 or 12 weeks of pregnancy. He noted that the availability of medication does not guarantee a woman has the information, support, or practical ability to make an informed decision.