Offices of Marriage, Family Life & Pro Life

The Booklet 'Blessing of the Child in the Womb'

WASHINGTON—A new booklet on “The Blessing of the Child in the Womb” co-authored by the vice president and associate general secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is now available from Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. “The Gift of Joy,” by Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, and Msgr. J. Brian Bransfield, a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, explains the vocation of Christian mothers and fathers and how it relates to parish life and society as a whole.

Cardinal O'Malley: New Vermont Assisted Suicide Law Reveals Slippery Slope

WASHINGTON - Cardinal Seán O'Malley of Boston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, warned of an "alarming trend nationwide" after Vermont legalized physician-assisted suicide, May 20. He called for "all people of good will to fight the future passage of such laws."

Bishop Blaire Welcomes Repeal of Death Penalty in Maryland

WASHINGTON — The repeal of the death penalty in Maryland represents a courageous step toward a culture of life, said the bishop who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

Gosnell Convictions Draw Attention to Tragedy of Abortion

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called for reflection, greater respect for human life and healing in the wake of the May 13 convictions of Dr. Kermit Gosnell of Philadelphia.

Lowering Age Limit for Emercency Contraception Irresponsible

WASHINGTON—The April 30 move by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve over-the-counter sale of “Plan B One-Step” to minors 15 years and older is a “disappointment,” said a spokesperson for the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Human Cloning Inconsistent with Human Dignity

WASHINGTON — Human cloning for any purpose is inconsistent with the moral responsibility to “treat each member of the human family as a unique gift of God, as a person with his or her own inherent dignity,” said the chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Religious Liberty Chair Backs Litgants Opposing HHS Mandate

WASHINGTON — A statement by Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, expressed “deep gratitude” and “solidarity and appreciation” for litigants challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate, which forces employers to pay for contraceptive services even over their religious and moral objections.

Office of Pro Life