Catholics for Choice Statement on the Passage of Issue 1 in Ohio
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Contact: John Becker, Press Secretary
Phone: 202-203-0931
Email: jbecker@catholicsforchoice.org
Catholics for Choice Statement on the Passage of Issue 1 in Ohio
Jamie L. Manson: “The outcome tonight proves once again that most people see the right to access abortion as a critical issue of justice and freedom, which is why it keeps on winning.”
WASHINGTON — Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, issued the following statement from President Jamie L. Manson, M.Div., applauding the passage of Issue 1 in Ohio:
“Tonight, by passing Issue 1, the majority of Ohio voters enshrined the fundamental right to access abortion, contraception, miscarriage care, and fertility treatment in the Ohio constitution. Catholics for Choice applauds the citizens of Ohio for taking back their power from partisan politicians, capricious courts, and meddling bishops — and we extend our gratitude and congratulations to all the tireless advocates in the Buckeye State, especially our partners at Faith Choice Ohio, for working so hard to help make this victory possible. The outcome tonight proves once again that most people see the right to access abortion as a critical issue of justice and freedom, which is why it keeps on winning.
“Catholics and the majority of people of faith support abortion access, no matter what the hierarchy spends or says. And Ohio’s Catholic bishops spent big, sinking well over $1.4 million into a losing campaign so desperate that it frequently resorted to lies, misinformation, and anti-trans demagoguery to try and scare voters away. Catholics in Ohio — especially the many who need abortion care — deserve so much better from their church.
“Catholics for Choice was proud to spend a small fraction of the money the bishops spent to combat disinformation and put 47 billboards up across the state to share the truth: Pro-choice Catholics are not alone. We participated in more than 20 in-person events in the weeks before the election, and we distributed thousands of pro-choice Catholic pledge cards in support of Issue 1. We are grateful to the pro-choice faithful who saw these signs and followed their consciences, all the way into the voting booth.
“Tonight’s victory demonstrates just how out of touch Ohio’s bishops are with the lives of those they are called to serve. Catholics who have abortions are participating richly in the life of the church — indeed 1 in 4 abortion patients is Catholic — so the hierarchy and their radical far-right allies must stop perpetuating stigma and shame. They would be wise to practice Pope Francis’s call to encounter, exorcise their own partisan extremism, and transform their hearts and minds by listening to those who have had abortions..
“Emboldened by the passage of Issue 1 in Ohio, Catholics for Choice will redouble our commitment to fully restoring the fundamental right to abortion access that was so cruelly stripped away through decades of political maneuvering and overreach by the Catholic hierarchy.”
Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to a person’s well-being and respect, and affirm the capacity of all people to make moral decisions about their lives.
