The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops launched a nationwide call to prayer and concrete action on July 27, addressing what church leaders say is a rising abortion rate tied to expanded access to medication abortion. The campaign runs through the end of October, which marks the Church’s annual Respect Life Month.
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the bishops’ conference, and Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, chairman of the Conference’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, framed the initiative as a response to federal policy permitting mail distribution of mifepristone, the drug used in medication abortion. They noted that the Biden administration established the policy, and the current Trump administration has maintained it while the Department of Justice has moved to block state legal challenges to the federal approach.
The Bishops’ Concern
In a joint statement, the bishops expressed alarm at what they see as the practical effect of wider pill access. “Every abortion involves the death of a child and harm to the mother,” they said. “Now with easier access to abortion pills, the abortion rate is tragically climbing.”
The bishops highlighted a specific worry about the isolation that medication abortion can create. They warned that “this leaves women vulnerable to suffering an abortion alone at home, without any medical supervision.” The FDA currently permits mifepristone to be prescribed through telehealth appointments and dispensed at neighborhood pharmacies and online retailers, a framework that the bishops see as removing safeguards and medical oversight.
The Policy Landscape
The status of the FDA’s review of the mifepristone policy and its timeline remain unclear. The medication abortion question sits at the intersection of federal regulatory authority, state law, and ongoing litigation—with Republican-led states having challenged the policy in court and the Trump administration’s Justice Department now defending the federal approach rather than reversing it, a move that has surprised some pro-life advocates.
Next Steps
The bishops’ four-month campaign calls on Catholics to engage in prayer and to take what they describe as concrete action, though the statement does not specify particular legislative or advocacy steps. The initiative comes as the Church continues to emphasize that abortion poses moral questions about the dignity of unborn human life and the wellbeing of women facing pregnancy, a teaching that remains central to Catholic social doctrine even as the political response to abortion access has shifted under different administrations.
The bishops’ call reflects the Church’s long-standing opposition to abortion and its conviction that prayer and community witness remain essential tools in advocating for what they view as the protection of life. The Respect Life Month campaign traditionally invites Catholics to support pregnant women, promote adoption, and work for policies they believe honor both the unborn and mothers facing difficult circumstances.
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Category: Bishops