WASHINGTON -- On June 27, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 5-3 ruling in the abortion facility medical standards case, Woman's Whole Health v. Hellerstedt. Deirdre McQuade, assistant director for pro-life communications at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, reacted to the loss.
WASHINGTON—On June 21, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared, contrary to the plain meaning of current federal law, that the California Department of Managed Health Care can continue to force all health plans under its jurisdiction to cover elective abortions. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is calling for an immediate federal legislative remedy.
Pregnancy should be a time of joyful expectation. But what if the baby is believed to have a disability or a life-threatening health condition? Prenatal screening is quickly becoming a routine part of obstetric care, in many cases using a simple blood test to screen for such conditions. Because of the growing frequency of this testing, parents are increasingly told by their doctors of potential problems with their pregnancies and are encouraged to abort, or to have additional tests done to determine a diagnosis.
Read more: Supporting Families Who Receive a Prenatal Diagnosis
WASHINGTON -- Richard Doerflinger will retire as associate director of the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, April 29, after 36 years of service to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). After a nationwide search, Greg Schleppenbach, executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, has been hired as new associate director of Pro-Life Activities.
Read more: Pro-Life Stalwart - Richard Doerflinger - Retires
I was nervous and uncomfortable as I drove to the hospice facility to visit my Dad. Just a few weeks prior, he had suffered a severe fall that damaged his spinal cord and left him unable to move from his neck down. It took my family and me quite a while to accept that my dad was a person with quadriplegia. It took Dad even longer.
Joint Letter to Congress: 26 Organization Urge Passage of Conscience Protection Act of 2016
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) joined twenty-five other major pro-life, religious, and health care organizations on April 19 urging the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Conscience Protection Act of 2016 (H.R. 4828). Signatories include ten medical groups representing tens of thousands of health care professionals who object to abortion and are seeking legal protection to serve their patients in good conscience.
One afternoon early in my mothering days, I found myself at the end of the preschool pickup line making small talk with another mom. One toddler orbited her feet while she switched a baby seat from arm to arm.