On May 6, laws
enacted by the people of Virginia were undermined when a U.S. district
court decision further advanced the extreme agenda of the abortion
industry and placed Virginia’s women at ever greater risk of harm from surgical
abortion.
In Falls
Church Medical Center v. Oliver, U.S. District Judge Henry
Hudson’s decision now allows non-physicians to perform first
trimester abortions in Virginia. Judge Hudson’s May 6, 2019 summary
judgment opinion goes beyond Roe v. Wade and reveals the
extreme measures that are being taken by pro-abortion groups to eliminate even
common-sense restrictions on abortion. The case is still in progress, as
several other counts that seek to expand “abortion rights” remain undecided.
The case will be heard May 20 to decide whether the common-sense health and
safety standards the Virginia legislature has enacted to protect pregnant women
will stand. Today’s disappointing and legally questionable decision is
another example of why we must all remain vigilant and mobilized as the extreme
abortion agenda continues to be advanced in Virginia.
Most Reverend Michael F.
Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington
Most Reverend Barry C. Knestout,
Bishop of Richmond
© Arlington Catholic Herald 2019