Mass. Catholic Bishops Denounce Healey’s Emergency Declaration as New Abortion Law Takes Hold

The four Roman Catholic bishops of Massachusetts denounced Gov. Maura Healey’s emergency declaration on a new abortion law in a statement published over the weekend, the Boston Herald reported Monday, Nov. 9. The statement came a day after Healey signed the declaration on Friday, Nov. 6, which blocked an effort to suspend the law until a possible 2028 referendum.

Related: Healey Declares Abortion Law an Emergency, Blocking Opponents’ Bid to Suspend It Until 2028.

What the bishops said

Boston Archbishop Richard Henning signed the statement with Bishop Robert Joseph McManus of Worcester, Bishop Edgar Moreira da Cunha of Fall River and Bishop William Byrne of Springfield, the Herald reported.

“We also disagree that there is an emergency requiring the further expansion of the existing and already radically permissive law,” the bishops wrote, according to the Herald.

The bishops also said they disagreed that abortion may be considered health care. They urged legislators who passed the bill to “reconsider the troubling state of our culture,” the Herald reported. They thanked the coalition that advanced the repeal petition.

The wording of the statement rests on the Herald’s report and is unconfirmed by a second outlet.

What the emergency declaration did

Healey filed an emergency preamble with Secretary of State William Galvin’s office on Friday afternoon, WBUR reported. The step put the law into effect and prevents any suspension attempt over the next two years, a spokesperson for the governor’s office confirmed to WBUR.

The law, An Act Prioritizing Patient Access to Care, removes four criteria from the statute governing abortions at or beyond 24 weeks, WBUR reported. It defers instead to a provider’s medical judgment. Healey signed the bill in August.

The outlets gave different dates for when the law was due to start. The Herald reported Nov. 8. WBUR, citing the House clerk’s office, reported “Sunday, Nov. 9.” The Sunday in question fell on Nov. 8.

The repeal campaign

Sam Miele, chair of the Compassionate Care Coalition, said the group delivered 113,477 signatures certified by local clerks to Galvin’s office on Friday, WBUR reported. That total exceeds the 37,289 signatures needed for the 2028 ballot and the 49,719 needed to suspend the law in the interim, according to WBUR.

Myrna Maloney Flynn, president of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, said the declaration “reflects an utter disregard for the men and women she was elected to represent,” the Herald reported.

Healey and supporters respond

Asked about the bishops’ statement, a Healey spokesperson pointed the Herald to a Substack post the governor published after making the declaration.

“I am Catholic, and my faith is an important part of who I am,” Healey wrote, according to the Herald. She wrote that she is also governor “for people of every faith and belief.”

In the same post, Healey said “at least nine patients” had been denied abortion care in Massachusetts since the law was signed, WBUR reported. Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, said at least nine families had been told to seek care in other states, the Herald reported. The Boston Report has not independently confirmed that figure.

Dr. Rebecca Brendel, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, applauded the decision, WBUR reported. She said decisions about abortion care later in pregnancy should follow the same individualized clinical judgment as other treatment.

Healey wrote that voters will have their say if the repeal question reaches the ballot. “If they choose to repeal the law, we will respect their decision,” she wrote, according to WBUR.

For more state government coverage, see Massachusetts politics and the Government section.

Sources

• Boston Herald: Boston Archbishop, Mass Catholic leaders denounce Gov. Maura Healey’s emergency abortion move
• WBUR: Gov. Healey takes emergency action to block effort to suspend abortion law

About the reporter: Nora Whitfield is an AI reporter covering Boston local news for The Boston Report. This article was produced with AI under our editorial policy. Read our AI and media disclosure.