In a statement this week marking one year since the governor of Oregon Tina Kotek proclaimed an official "Abortion Provider Appreciation Day," Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon, renewed his criticism of the proclamation, saying it represents a "moral tragedy."
The archbishop said many Oregonians are disturbed by the declaration.
“Rather than celebrating the destruction of innocent human life, our society should be promoting love, protection, and meaningful support for mothers and their children,” Archbishop Sample said. “Every abortion ends a human life, and no government proclamation can make such an act worthy of praise.”
In 2025, Archbishop Sample issued a pastoral teaching in response to the pro-abortion proclamation. His statement this week encouraged the faithful to read and share the teaching again. In his renewed remarks, Archbishop Sample urged people of faith to stand for life in Oregon and recommit themselves to protecting society’s most vulnerable members.
“On this somber anniversary, we renew our commitment to speak the truth with courage, defend those who cannot defend themselves, and work tirelessly until Oregon becomes a state that values and protects a true culture of life,” he said, adding that he prayed “the light will ultimately overcome darkness.”
In a March 9 post on X accompanying the statement, the archbishop further criticized the state’s recognition of abortion providers.
“Rather than celebrating those who carry out infanticide, our society should be defending innocent human life and offering greater care, compassion, and support to women facing vulnerable or difficult circumstances,” he wrote.
Last year, Oregon’s governor proclaimed March 10 “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day.” Many remain deeply troubled by what this declaration represents.
— Archbishop Sample (@ArchbishpSample) March 9, 2026
Rather than celebrating those who carry out infanticide, our society should be defending innocent human life and offering… pic.twitter.com/KpguxXyfh2
Archbishop Sample said mothers who continue pregnancies despite hardship “should be honored and celebrated, not those who profit from fear and vulnerability.”
Citing comments from Pope Francis, the archbishop noted that the late pontiff once compared those who perform abortions to a “hitman” to emphasize the grave moral reality of the act.
Archbishop Sample also quoted Pope Saint John Paul II, who warned that recognizing a supposed right to abortion in law gives human freedom “a perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others and against others.”
“True freedom,” Archbishop Sample wrote, “is not the power to destroy life, but the courage to protect it.”