Statement from Bishop Knestout

Statement from Bishop Knestout Regarding Recent and Extreme Abortion Legislation in Virginia

Horrific. Outrageous. Vicious. Those words were in my heart as I heard about the proposed legislation that would enable expanding the brutal practice of abortion. There is no place in a civil society for this sort of thought and action. Equally disheartening and reprehensible are the comments made by Virginia’s Governor and the legislator who proposed such a bill. The discussion a mother and doctor should have is in the best interest of the child as to how we can preserve and not destroy life.

We should not be legislating in favor of abortion, let alone third trimester abortions at all. All our actions and decisions should be life-giving.

“Each human being has value and is not a means to an end. Each human being is loved by God, and equally treasured.”

Less than two weeks ago, I spoke those words in my homily at the closing of the Vigil for Life Mass in Washington D.C, just prior to the March for Life. I joined hundreds from our Diocese who marched in unison with thousands of others from across this nation to bear witness to the value and dignity of all human life from conception to natural death.

We must give thanks to God for the gift of human life and be unwavering in protecting this gift in all its stages from conception to natural death. As Catholics in the United States, we do this through prayer but also through our advocacy efforts on the national, state and local levels. We see these efforts visibly through the March for Life, but also by using our voices when public policy threatens the dignity of human life.

Now more than ever, it’s important to raise our voices when we see such threats and injustices on the most vulnerable in our society. I encourage you, if you haven’t already done so, to visit the Virginia Catholic Conference (VCC) and sign up for the Conference’s advocacy network. There you will receive information regarding these matters and how you can advocate best on behalf of the most vulnerable.

I pray that through using our voices in the public square we will help end such immoral legislation that threatens human life.

For more about the latest measures the VCC advocated against click this link: https://vacatholic.org/action-center

For more about the VCC and how to use your voice in matters of public policy, click this link: https://vacatholic.org

Bishop Barry C. Knestout

Most Reverend Barry C. Knestout is the Bishop of Richmond. Appointed by Pope Francis on December 5, 2017, as the 13th bishop of the Diocese of Richmond, Bishop Knestout was installed January 12, 2018.