CV NEWS FEED // Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington criticized President Joe Biden’s pro-abortion rally that took place in Virginia this week and said “it is incredibly devastating” that “Biden would place ‘choice’ over his sacred duty to protect life.”
“President Biden has made abortion the centerpiece of his campaign. At a rally in Manassas, VA, he advocated for codifying Roe v. Wade into law,” Burbidge stated on January 23 in the Arlington Catholic Herald.
“Despite what this administration claims, taking the life of an innocent child is never a ‘choice,’” Burbidge added. “Women who are facing unexpected or difficult pregnancies deserve assistance that affirms and supports life – not destroy it.”
Burbidge highlighted the pro-life movement’s efforts to empower and support women facing unexpected pregnancies by affirming life and by providing material resources for them and their children.
“President Biden’s rally took place just four miles from the Manassas Mother of Mercy Free Medical Clinic, where Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington offers free prenatal care to pregnant women in need and their unborn children,” Burbidge stated:
In the year after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision, the Diocese of Arlington delivered $877,000 in free medical care to more than 1,000 women. Going further, the diocese also provided rent and utilities assistance, nearly 400,000 diapers, and 4,000 cans of formula to families in need.
“Abortion remains the preeminent civil rights issue of our time, yet, just yesterday, the Biden administration announced renewed efforts to increase access to medically unsafe prescription abortion pills,” Burbidge stated. “This is clearly not about women’s health.”
Burbidge concluded, “The Diocese of Arlington and the entire pro-life movement will remain steadfast in ensuring parents facing unexpected or challenging pregnancies have the support they need to choose life for their unborn children.”
In November of 2023, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops added a statement in their document on Catholics’ political responsibilities that affirmed the central importance of opposing abortion in America.
“The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks our most vulnerable and voiceless brothers and sisters and destroys more than a million lives per year in our country alone,” the USCCB stated in their document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.”
