Several weeks into this year’s legislative session, Virginia’s
General Assembly is considering many bills that are of concern to Catholics. In
welcome news, it’s very likely the commonwealth will abolish capital
punishment. But both chambers also have passed bills allowing plans available
on Virginia’s health insurance exchange to cover abortion.
“Replacing the current life-saving restrictions on abortion with
a policy of abortion coverage in our state exchange is drastic,” said Bishop
Michael F. Burbidge during his Feb. 2 “Walk Humbly Podcast.” “It will result in
the tragic end to more unborn lives, and additionally in poll after poll,
citizens do not want their tax dollars going toward abortion.”
Both chambers recently passed bills that would legalize adult
recreational use of marijuana and make it legal to sell marijuana. As the
Senate and the House of Delegates passed slightly different versions of the
bill, in the coming days they will work to create a final version. If passed
into law, retail commerce of marijuana is likely to begin in 2024, according to
the office of Sen. Dick Saslaw (D-Fairfax).
The Virginia Catholic Conference, the lobbying arm of the
Virginia bishops, opposed the measure, saying, “Data and the experiences of
other states clearly show that doing so would lead to more addiction, mental
illness, suicide and traffic deaths — dangerously harming many children,
breaking up families and even ending lives.”
The House of Delegates passed a bill that would repeal conscience
protections for adoption agencies such as Catholic Charities. The Senate is
scheduled to vote on the bill soon. In his podcast, Bishop Burbidge spoke about
the harm this legislation would do to Virginia families.
“It’s saying that Catholic agencies are second class because we
follow our faith. It says that our teaching on marriage makes us unfit to take
at-risk children and find (them) good, loving homes with parents who welcome
them. It's very insulting to who we are and to the faith that we profess,” he
said. “This is not the time to limit the number of agencies placing children in
healthy homes by limiting the number of agencies that can help in adoption
services. Only kids and families suffer by doing that.”
Recently, diocesan Catholic Charities has seen an increase in the
number of new families beginning pre-placement training to open their homes to
children waiting to be adopted, according to a Jan. 26 press release. Last
year, the organization helped to facilitate more than 100 adoptions. Catholic
Charities also supports the birth families and adoptive families with training
for providing a nurturing environment to children experiencing trauma and
abuse, support groups and a variety of therapy and mental health services.
“For three-quarters of a century, Catholic Charities' adoption
services have provided critical support to families in crisis and those working
to build loving forever families,” said Stephen Carattini, diocesan Catholic
Charities president and CEO. “We know our work supporting the selfless, loving
parents who open their arms to welcome these children has a lifelong impact on
the children and an immeasurable impact on the broader community.”
In a Feb. 5 email, the VCC urged Catholics to contact their
representatives, saying, “In prayer and in public, your voices are urgently
needed to bring Gospel values to bear on vital decisions being made by those
who represent you.”