The pro-life flag from the Pro-Life Flag Project (www.prolifeflag.com). / Credit: Pro-Life Flag Project (www.prolifeflag.com)Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 1, 2024 / 18:50 pm (CNA).Here's a look at abortion-related developments that took place in various U.S. states this week. Florida's six-week pro-life law takes effectFlorida's Heartbeat Protection Act took effect on Wednesday, May 1. The law protects unborn babies from abortion starting at six weeks of pregnancy. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the law back in April 2023, but it remained blocked until an April decision by the state Supreme Court that cleared the way for it to take effect. This comes as a high-stakes abortion amendment, effectively legalizing the procedure through all nine months of pregnancy, is set to be included on the ballot this November. Arizona Senate votes to repeal law protecting life at conceptionIn a 16-14 vote the Arizona Senate voted to repeal a law protecting unborn babies from...
The pro-life flag from the Pro-Life Flag Project (www.prolifeflag.com). / Credit: Pro-Life Flag Project (www.prolifeflag.com)
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 1, 2024 / 18:50 pm (CNA).
Here's a look at abortion-related developments that took place in various U.S. states this week.
Florida's six-week pro-life law takes effect
Florida's Heartbeat Protection Act took effect on Wednesday, May 1. The law protects unborn babies from abortion starting at six weeks of pregnancy. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the law back in April 2023, but it remained blocked until an April decision by the state Supreme Court that cleared the way for it to take effect.
This comes as a high-stakes abortion amendment, effectively legalizing the procedure through all nine months of pregnancy, is set to be included on the ballot this November.
Arizona Senate votes to repeal law protecting life at conception
In a 16-14 vote the Arizona Senate voted to repeal a law protecting unborn babies from abortion beginning at conception. The so-called "abortion ban repeal" bill passed the Arizona Senate despite a narrow Republican majority, due to two Republicans joining all Democrats to repeal the pro-life law. The Arizona House already passed the repeal bill in a similarly close vote last week. Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, has already said she plans to quickly sign the bill, which will return the state to limiting abortion after 15 weeks.
South Dakota abortion amendment reaches required signatures
Dakotans for Health, a pro-abortion group in South Dakota, announced on Wednesday that it has exceeded the required number of signatures to add an abortion amendment to the state's November ballot. The amendment proposal and signatures will need to be vetted by state authorities. If passed, the amendment would override the state's existing pro-life laws and enshrine abortion into the state constitution. Currently, abortion is only legal in South Dakota if the life of the mother is at risk.
Tennessee governor signs 'Baby Olivia' pro-life bill
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill on Tuesday to increase education on fetal development in public schools. The bill mandates that the state's family life curricula include a three-minute video titled "Baby Olivia," which was produced by the pro-life group Live Action and shows an unborn baby's development from conception till birth.
Several other states — Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, and West Virginia — are also considering passing bills to add the Baby Olivia video to their curriculum.
Maine governor signs out-of-state abortion law
Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed a law last week that seeks to shield out-of-state patients who are seeking abortions or so-called "gender-affirming care" in Maine from possible prosecution. The legislation would prevent their medical records from being shared with law enforcement agencies in other states where such practices have been banned. The law also gives abortionists in the state immunity from any prosecutions on abortions performed on out-of-state women.
Pope Francis converses with Metropolitan Agathangelos, director general of the Apostolikí Diakonía of the Greek Orthodox Church, at the Vatican on May 16, 2024. / Credit: Vatican MediaACI Prensa Staff, May 16, 2024 / 16:18 pm (CNA).Pope Francis has placed in young people his hope that Catholics and Orthodox may be "united in diversity" and "break the chains" of antagonism, misunderstanding, and prejudice that have kept them prisoners for centuries.In a Thursday audience, the Holy Father received the director-general of the Apostolikí Diakonía of the Orthodox Church of Greece, Metropolitan Agathangelos, and a delegation from the Theological College of Athens.The Apostolikí Diakonía is the official publishing house and missionary arm of the Orthodox Christian Church of Greece. Since 1936 it has published hundreds of books on Christian theology and tradition, Orthodox spirituality, and biblical studies.At the beginning of his talk given at the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican, the ...
In an interview with 60 Minutes' Norah O'Donnell, airing this Sunday, Pope Francis took aim at his "conservative critics" in the United States. / Credit: CBS News/Adam VerdugoCNA Staff, May 16, 2024 / 16:58 pm (CNA).In an interview with "60 Minutes" airing this Sunday, Pope Francis takes aim at his "conservative critics" in the United States, reportedly saying a conservative is someone who "clings to something and does not want to see beyond that.""It is a suicidal attitude," the pope said as reported by "60 Minutes," which released a brief clip of the upcoming interview conducted by CBS' Nora O'Donnell. "Because one thing is to take tradition into account, to consider situations from the past, but quite another is to be closed up inside a dogmatic box."The Pope addresses his conservative critics in the church."Conservative is one who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that. It is a suicidal attitude," says Pope Francis. This Sunday on ...
Jessica Tapia displays a sign outside the Garden Grove Unified School District board meeting on behalf of the Teachers Don't Lie program. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Advocates for Faith and Freedom and Jessica TapiaCNA Staff, May 16, 2024 / 18:04 pm (CNA).A Christian teacher settled in court for $360,000 earlier this week after suing a California school district board for firing her after she refused to comply with gender ideology rules that went against her religious beliefs.After refusing to comply with a preferred pronoun rule, Jessica Tapia was fired by the Jurupa Unified School District from her job as a physical education teacher."It ultimately really does come down to my faith and how I believe that it's always worth it to stand for righteousness and fight for truth," Tapia told CNA in a phone call. "And ultimately, I believe the word of God is that truth and is the instructions we've been given to live our life upon. There's really nothing else or no one else that I lea...
The pro-life flag from the Pro-Life Flag Project (www.prolifeflag.com). / Credit: Pro-Life Flag Project (www.prolifeflag.com)
