Virginia Democrats are making a brazen move to enshrine an extreme abortion agenda into the state’s constitution, but they are now facing the formidable, united opposition of nearly 700,000 Catholics mobilizing to protect the unborn and parental rights.
In January, Democratic Virginia state lawmakers advanced a constitutional amendment on abortion rights to appear on the November ballot. While abortion is currently legal in Virginia up to 26 weeks and six days of pregnancy, the state’s constitution does not explicitly protect a right to abortion.
The proposed amendment asks voters: “Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) protect the freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care; (ii) protect doctors, nurses, and patients from being punished for these decisions; and (iii) allow for restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient’s health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive?”
This radical ballot measure is openly supported by Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Democratic Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones. However, the state’s roughly 693,000 registered Catholics from both of its two dioceses are urging voters to reject it ahead of Election Day, labeling it as “extreme.”
In a rare and powerful move, Catholic Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington issued a September 12 letter urging Virginians to join the “Catholics Vote No” campaign, which opposes Ballot Questions 1 and 2. Ballot Question 2 would in part “remove a provision that states marriage is between one man and one woman.”
“[Ballot Question 1] threatens the health and safety of mothers and would allow for abortions targeting healthy babies all the way up to birth,” Burbidge’s letter firmly states. “The amendment extends this so-called right even to minors. It would remove the role of parents concerning life-altering and irreversible decisions for their minor daughters.”
“The proposed amendment is extreme. It is unnecessary. And it is wrong,” the letter concludes, a clear and unequivocal condemnation from Church leadership.
In August, Bishop Burbidge and Bishop Barry Knestout of the Diocese of Richmond issued a joint letter claiming in part that Ballot Question 1 “would endanger women’s health and safety” if passed, reinforcing the unified stand against this dangerous legislation.
Bishop Burbidge also warned against supporting the two ballot measures during Mass at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Fairfax on September 13, noting it was the first time he has asked for one of his letters to be read to parishioners “throughout the diocese.”
“Ballot Question number 1 fails to protect the life of the unborn, the health of women, and even fails to respect the rights of parents in the lives of their children. Ballot Question 2 fails to respect the sanctity of marriage as Jesus taught, the sacred union of one man and one woman,” Burbidge told the crowd at Mass. “[We] cannot condone that. We must vote no to those questions and say yes to the truth. I’ve asked that the letter from me be read throughout all the parishes today throughout the diocese, [and] I think it’s the first time I’ve done that during my tenure here. But there’s so much at stake.”
The Arlington Diocese notably comprises 69 parishes in Northern Virginia, with 464,861 registered Catholics and 266 priests, illustrating the sheer scale of the organized opposition.
CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt underscored the true motivation behind the Democrats’ push. “Abortion is already legal in Virginia. That single fact tells you everything you need to know about what this amendment is actually for,” Reinhardt told a reporter. “This is not about access. It is about permanence and about power.”
Reinhardt praised the Bishop's direct action: “There is a difference between a bishop who issues statements and a bishop who leads. Bishop Burbidge is leading. Having his letter read at every Mass across the diocese was not a symbolic gesture … That kind of directness is rare.”
According to JLK Political Strategies Founder and President Jimmy Keady, the proposed amendment could make Virginia “one of the most radical states in the country in terms of abortion rights” if it is approved. “It would enshrine abortion as a fundamental right in our Constitution, on the same footing as free speech and the Second Amendment,” Keady explained. “For many Virginians who believe the law should protect unborn life, this is an enormously egregious step that would put common-sense abortion protections beyond the reach of ordinary legislation and make it extremely difficult for future lawmakers and voters to restore any protections for the unborn.”
Keady also wisely observed that Democrats should not “underestimate the ability of people of faith to organize and make a difference” ahead of Election Day. “When people feel strongly about an issue, they can be incredibly dedicated and effective at getting their communities engaged. This effort will be no different if they can translate that conviction into turnout on Election Day.”
While pro-abortion groups claim Virginia’s Ballot Question 1 represents a major positive step for “reproductive freedom” and “would protect our freedom in Virginia to make reproductive health care decisions without fear of government interference or criminal punishment,” the stark reality is far different. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Communications Strategist Tom Olohan warned, “If passed, Virginia will follow Massachusetts in letting the profiting abortionist alone decide whether a baby is viable and if an abortion is necessary so that the person deciding whether the baby is viable is the same person profiting from her death.”
Olohan’s words lay bare the deceptive, extreme effort from the abortion lobby to push abortion up till birth. Early in-person voting in Virginia opened on Friday and will run through October 31. This election is a critical battle for the soul of Virginia, where common sense, parental rights, and the sanctity of life face a direct assault from the radical left’s overreach. Virginians have a clear choice to stand for American values and reject this extreme agenda.
