Religion & Law

Cardinal Rigali, as chair of the U.S. bishops' committee on pro-life activities, has written a letter to all members of the House urging that they vote for the Pregnant Women Support Act, the bill largely developed by Democrats for Life that was recently reintroduced in both houses.

The letter, sent Friday, noted that "in a society where disagreements on abortions and the rights of the unborn child seem persistent and intractable, there are some statements that almost everyone can endorse."



The cardinal continued: "First, the fact that over a million abortions take place every year in this country is a tragedy, and we should at least take steps to reduce abortions.



"Second, no woman should ever have to undergo an abortion because she feels she has no other choice, or because alternatives were unavailable or not made known to her. . . ."



The letter explained some points of "life-affirming support" provided for pregnant women through this act, including: the elimination of "pregnancy as a 'preexisting condition' that can be used to deny health coverage for women; grants to support centers providing alternatives to abortion; assistance encouraging colleges and universities to provide support for pregnant and parenting students."



The act also includes increased support for adoption programs and services for pregnant women at risk from domestic violence.