Arlington bishop urges renewed resolve after Virginia abortion amendment outcome: God ‘will not allow those efforts to be in vain’
The bishop stressed that despite the temporary political defeat, now is the time to persevere in faith and hope.
After Virginia passed radical pro-abortion and anti-marriage amendments Nov. 3, Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, who had spearheaded efforts to defeat the ballot questions, emphasized that the faithful will need to come together to confront the challenges introduced by the constitutional changes with charity, hope, and trust in God.
In a Nov. 4 statement, Bishop Burbidge commended the initiative of so many Catholics throughout the state to fight back against the ballot questions, expressing gratitude for the clergy, consecrated religious, and lay faithful who raised awareness of the threats posed by the ballot questions.
“Our unprecedented ‘Catholics Vote No’ initiative played a crucial role in mobilizing the faithful in each of our parishes, missions, and schools directly reaching hundreds of thousands, faithfully forming consciences, and driving voter participation throughout northern Virginia through personal appeals, public communications, and prayer and fasting,” he said. “I commend and sincerely thank all who mobilized to ensure the Catholic voice was clearly heard across our diocese.”
>> Arlington diocese urges Catholics to vote ‘no’ on pro-abortion, same-sex ‘marriage’ amendments <<
As Zeale News reported, 62% of Virginians voted in favor of enshrining a constitutional “right” to abortion, with 94% of the votes counted. Bishop Burbidge lamented the tragedy of this outcome, which he said will “insert an extreme and limitless legal right to abortion into our Commonwealth's constitution.”
A majority also voted in favor of Ballot Question 2, which strips what Bishop Burbidge described as objectively good and true language from the state’s constitution defending marriage as a sacred institution uniting one man and one woman.
Though the moment is marked by a temporary political defeat, Bishop Burbidge emphasized, truth has not changed, and the efforts made against the amendments were not wasted.
“Despite this defeat, faithful Catholics may be consoled by the certainty that each one of us gave God our best efforts, and that he will not allow those efforts to be in vain,” he said. “We know the truth, and no temporary political defeat changes this reality. Thus, we do not despair. We resolve to continue speaking the truth with love and, together, we persevere in faith and hope.”
The constitutional amendments will have grave ramifications that Catholics must confront together, Bishop Burbidge explained.
He warned that “it is all but certain that health and safety regulations” related to abortion will be eliminated, and worse, it will be possible for healthy babies up to birth to be killed by abortion for any reason. Parents will be excluded from irreversible and life-changing decisions involving their daughters under 18, and non-physicians may operate abortion businesses without a license, he warned. Further, commercial surrogacy will continue to put women at risk of exploitation and violate children’s rights, and life-threatening gender ideology will be perpetuated by the revised language regarding “sex” and “gender,” he warned.
“These are troubling realities that we must confront together, confident in God's goodness and in his willingness to pour out his grace to convert the minds and hearts of all people,” Bishop Burbidge wrote. “Righteous change often includes setbacks, occurs slowly, yet is finally achieved in surprising and unpredictable ways.”
“As Catholics, we must continue and strengthen our commitment to all our brothers and sisters by speaking the truth in love and by accompanying all those in need, especially mothers experiencing difficult or unexpected pregnancies,” he added.
Outlining the various resources and institutions ready to serve mothers in need, Bishop Burbidge pointed to the diocesan Catholic Charities, its local Mary, Mother of Mercy Medical Clinic, the diocese’s Gift of Life financial assistance ministry, the parish-based Gabriel Project, and the diocesan pregnancy and adoption programs.
He also pointed to the Church’s Project Rachel After Abortion Care, which offers confidential resources and spiritual care for those in need of healing after having participated in abortion.
“As she does in every time and place, the Church strives to heal whatever wounds men and women suffer,” Bishop Burbidge. “Yet, as critical as these diocesan ministries are, we should frankly recognize that they are a necessary response to political and legal injustices that must eventually be corrected through better politics and through authentic, life-affirming law and policy.”
Bishop Burbidge reiterated that a democratic vote cannot alter the truth that life and marriage are sacred.
“We are ‘one nation under God,’ and this remains true even when faith and morals are defeated at the ballot box,” Bishop Burbidge said. “As people of faith resolved to live by God's divine and natural law, we recognize that fundamental truths, such as the human right to life and the sacredness of marriage, can never legitimately be put to a vote, even in a democratic nation.”
Concluding, he urged continued reliance on God and prayer for future political leaders to abolish abortion and commercial surrogacy.
“Across America, as here in Virginia, advocacy and courage are now needed more than ever,” he said. “We must look to God for the future presidents and governors, justices and judges, and lawmakers and policy advisors who will champion the reforms American law needs: to abolish the scourge of abortion, commercial surrogacy, and related evils, and to restore the dignity and sacredness of the marital bond in law and therefore in culture.
“The conversion of nations, states, and peoples is only ever possible by the grace of God, to whom we turn with confidence and hope now and always.”
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