Battle Over Pain-Capable Child Act & Protecting Unborn

Tags: Currents Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Diocese of Brooklyn, Pro-Life, Senate, U.S. Bishops, USCCB

By Tim Harfmann

 Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham led the fight to protect the unborn against abortion while on Capitol Hill Tuesday, April 9th. “America is at her best when she is standing up for the least among us. We know that an unborn child at the twentieth week of pregnancy can feel pain,” said Graham. He’s in favor of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act – which would restrict abortions after the fifth month of pregnancy; “We should have restrictions on abortion. You can only imagine the pain that comes from dismemberment.”

United States bishops also back the bill. Archbishop Joseph Naumann, Chairman of the USCCB pro-life committee, released a statement: “With the vast majority of Americans strongly supporting a ban on late-term abortions, it is time for Congress to pass this bill. I also pray that consideration of this bill moves our country closer to recognizing all unborn babies as legal persons worthy of our love and respect.”

Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life, said most Americans favor the legislation. “We’re talking 8 out of 10 Americans for 10 years strong, including 6 out of 10 pro-choice Americans, would limit abortion more than its limited in the united states.”

“We’re becoming inhuman as a society, and we hope that some of these steps, that hopefully will be passed, will show that we’re a caring nation,” said Fred Trabulsi. He’s the executive director of Life Center of New York – a crisis pregnancy center in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

In the House, a similar measure is stalled in the Democrat-controlled body. Catholic leaders and Republicans are fighting to move it forward.

Last week, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio spoke out strongly and called on Catholics to act; “There are many people mobilized in the name of the unborn and I encourage the Brooklyn and Queens faithful to contact their Congressional representative on this critical issue.”