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CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2024 / 13:45 pm (CNA).

Missourians on Tuesday voted to overturn the state's near-ban on abortion and enshrine a provision guaranteeing "reproductive freedom" in the state constitution. 

Voters narrowly approved Amendment 3 on Nov. 5, which adds a "fundamental right to reproductive freedom" to the state constitution, threatening to undo decades of pro-life gains.

Missouri was one of the first states to fully ban abortion after the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022 and has not had a functioning abortion clinic within its borders for years. 

The measure prohibits "any regulation of abortion, including regulations designed to protect women undergoing abortions and prohibit any civil or criminal recourse against anyone who performs an abortion and hurts or kills the pregnant women," according to the secretary of state's office. 

It mandates that the government "shall not deny or infringe upon a person's fundamental right to reproductive freedom," including "prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions." 

The amendment is set to come into effect Dec. 6, teeing up years of litigation as pro-abortion advocates are expected to sue to remove each of Missouri's pro-life protections in light of the new constitutional provision. 

The amendment's appearance on the ballot was the subject of a protracted court battle earlier this year, with pro-lifers arguing that the final proposed language not only violated state law by failing to list which laws it would repeal but also mislead voters about the scope and gravity of what they would be voting for. The Missouri Supreme Court ultimately voted 4-3 to allow the measure to appear before voters. 

Missouri law currently extends protection to unborn babies throughout all of pregnancy with the only exception being cases of "medical emergency."

Down, but not out

Catholic and pro-life groups reacted to the news of Amendment 3's passage with dismay but expressed a commitment to continue to fight the liberalization of Missouri's abortion laws in court. 

The Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC), which advocates policy on behalf of the state's Catholic bishops, had previously called Amendment 3 "an extreme constitutional amendment that legalizes abortion at any stage of pregnancy with no protections for the preborn child, even when the child is capable of feeling pain."

MCC issued a statement Nov. 6 expressing sadness that voters had chosen not to safeguard the vulnerable, emphasizing the Church's commitment to protecting the dignity of all human life, particularly women and children. 

Tuesday's result is "not the end of our work," the bishops noted. 

"We reaffirm our commitment to walking with mothers and fathers facing unforeseen pregnancies, along with parents facing hardship in their pregnancies. For those women who have been wounded by abortion, the Church will continue to provide true hope and healing," they continued. 

"We are grateful to the Catholic faithful, clergy, and all people of goodwill who worked tirelessly in this election to uphold the dignity of the human person. It is important to remember that we are called by our faith to continue to promote and proclaim the inherent dignity of all. Let us continue to pray and work for a greater recognition of the gift of each and every human life in our society."

A spokeswoman for Missouri Stands With Women, the main pro-life political group opposing the amendment, told CNA that it plans to continue its advocacy efforts in the state despite being massively outfunded by the pro-abortion lobby. 

"This is not the result we wanted but despite being outspent by millions of dollars, life won in the majority of Missouri counties," Stephanie Bell noted. 

"Our work to protect the safety of women and the dignity of life continues. Life supporters will not sit back and watch as Big Abortion works to dismantle all the health and safety protections put in place to protect women and babies. We will continue to fight and ultimately be victorious against the forces who see no value in life."

Mary Catherine Martin, senior counsel at the Thomas More Society, a Catholic law firm that challenged the amendment in court, signaled the firm's readiness to engage in further legal action.

"Missourians have been tragically deceived by a dazzling misinformation campaign funded by out-of-state millionaires and other mega-corporations that will profit from giving abortions and gender 'care' to Missouri women and children," Martin said in a statement.

"The Thomas More Society will not abandon Missouri in this post-Amendment 3 world. We stand ready to help defend the rights of Missouri's parents, women, children, and babies, against the assaults that are planned by the proponents of Amendment 3."

Mary Elizabeth Coleman, a Missouri state senator who joined the lawsuit challenging the amendment, expressed commitment to further political action, including the possibility of bringing another abortion vote to the people of Missouri. 

"This won't be the last time Missourians vote on so-called 'reproductive rights,' which has been co-opted by the left to include gender-transition surgeries for kids without parental consent, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that vote happens," Coleman said. 

Deacon Sam Lee, a St. Louis-based pro-life lobbyist who works with Missouri Stands With Women, told CNA late last week that Catholics in Missouri intensified their prayer efforts in the last days before the election. 

Notably, Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski of St. Louis urged all Catholics to participate in prayer and fasting leading up to the election, personally leading a special Mass and Holy Hour at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis on Nov. 3.

Lee last week described seeing numerous "No on Amendment 3" yard signs displayed by Catholics in the St. Louis area. He also said he has been encouraging Catholics to educate their family members, friends, and neighbors about the amendment and its implications, aiming to counter the influence of the well-funded pro-abortion organizations supporting Amendment 3.

The deacon previously told CNA that the broad language of "reproductive freedom" could have unintended consequences beyond abortion, such as enshrining a right for minors to seek gender-transition procedures without parental consent. 

Elsewhere on Election Day, voters in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota voted down major pro-abortion proposals, marking the first victories at the ballot box for pro-life advocates since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Seven other states, including Missouri, saw voters approve measures to expand abortion.

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Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nov 6, 2024 / 14:15 pm (CNA).

The "No to Trafficking" Team of the Argentine bishops' National Commission for Justice and Peace has issued a statement hailing the country's Supreme Court ruling in a case involving surrogate motherhood.

The court rejected the request of a "married" male couple who had contracted with a woman for a child and wanted to be registered as the parents instead of the birth mother, which the bishops' commission called in a statement an "unprecedented exemplary ruling."

The statement noted that "the mother is the one who gives birth, regardless of the subjective self-representations and private wishes of third parties."

Furthermore, "taking into account all the rights that are involved" in relation to surrogacy, and in order to "limit any potential regulation to not affect the most vulnerable, that is, poor women and children processed as objects of desire," the Supreme Court urged the nation's Legislature to "correct the lack of regulation" on the subject.

This is the first time the Argentine Supreme Court has ruled on a case involving surrogacy.

The ruling rejected a legal action by a homosexual "married couple" who turned to a woman to bear a child and then requested from the judges a new birth certificate that challenged the woman as the parent so that they would be considered the parents of the newborn.

Thus the child was registered as the son of the woman who gave birth and of one of the contracting couple, who had given his prior consent.

The ruling makes it clear that in this matter there is no "legal vacuum" in Argentina and that surrogate motherhood or so-called "rent-a-womb" is a practice contrary to the law.

For the No to Trafficking Team, which is committed to "raising awareness and making visible the nature and dehumanizing effects of this new form of trafficking for the purpose of reproductive exploitation and child trafficking," it is "timely and necessary to issue a statement, which will be a light and educational guide for our community regarding this harmful and inhumane form of human trafficking."

The topic was also addressed by Nicolás Lafferriere, who holds a doctorate in legal sciences, on his program "Por la Vida" ("For Life") on Radio María, who pointed out that the persons involved did not ask for prior legal authorization for the surrogacy and that, according to this court ruling, "people cannot make contracts to change the rules of filiation; that is, how maternal, paternal, and filial ties are established."

On the other hand, despite recognizing the "procreative will," Laferriere pointed out that this has a limit and that limit, set by law, is surrogacy or rent-a-womb.

"This ruling puts an end to a series of court rulings that have occurred throughout the country, generally very favorable to surrogacy but outside the text of the law. So the court, in some way, is aware of this, and here it sets a stop, sets a limit," he pointed out.

"The judge, when the law is clear, cannot put his own criteria above the criteria of the law, and in some way it puts a limit on all those rulings that over the last few years have been legitimizing surrogacy in our country," the lawyer said.

The Catholic Church and surrogacy

The document Dignitas Infinita, published in April by the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith with the approval of Pope Francis, lists 13 serious violations of human dignity.

Among them, it states in No. 48 that "the Church also takes a stand against the practice of surrogacy, through which the immensely worthy child becomes a mere object." 

"First and foremost, the practice of surrogacy violates the dignity of the child" and "the dignity of the woman, whether she is coerced into it or chooses to subject herself to it freely," the document states.

"In this practice, the woman is detached from the child growing in her and becomes a mere means subservient to the arbitrary gain or desire of others," the dicastery explains.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 6, 2024 / 09:20 am (CNA).

Measures to legalize marijuana were defeated in three of the four states where it was on the ballot. Attempts to legalize recreational use of the drug came up short in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota on Election Day, while two measures authorizing medical use in Nebraska succeeded. 

Additionally, Massachusetts voters decided against a measure that had aimed to legalize psychedelics.

Catholic bishops across the United States have urged Catholic voters throughout the election cycle to cast their votes against marijuana legalization initiatives. 

Read the following to see details on the results of each ballot measure. 

Amendment 3 in Florida

The constitutional amendment that would have authorized recreational marijuana in the Sunshine State has failed, coming up short of the requisite 60% approval to pass, with about 55.9% approval, according to results available at the time of publication. 

Amendment 3 sought to legalize purchase, possession, and use of up to 3 ounces of recreational marijuana and up to 5 ounces of marijuana concentrate for adults 21 years or older. It would have also facilitated both medical and "other state-licensed entities" to buy, cultivate, and sell marijuana and marijuana accessories. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had actively campaigned against the measure, declared the amendment's failure to secure a 60% majority at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

DeSantis had avidly opposed the passage of Amendment 3, describing it as a corporate money grab from the weed industry. 

"Amendment 3 is bankrolled by one Big Weed company that has buried special privileges for itself in the text of the amendment," he wrote in a social media post leading up to Election Day. "It's not about freedom, it's about corporate greed."

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement ahead of Election Day urging Catholics to vote no on Amendment 3.

"Legalizing marijuana makes it more accessible, removes the criminal penalties and stigma attributable to it, and creates the impression that it is safe to use," the bishops wrote. "Taken together, these factors ultimately lead to increased use of the drug — by as much as 20% in adults." 

The bishops also included a statement from Pope Francis at the 31st International Drug Enforcement Conference in June 2014. "The problem of drug use is not solved with drugs!" the Holy Father stated emphatically. "Drug addiction is an evil, and with evil there can be no yielding or compromise."

Initiative Measures 437 and 438 in Nebraska 

Both measures seeking to legalize and regulate medical marijuana have passed in Nebraska with support from over 70% of voters.

Measure 437 decriminalizes the possession of up to 5 ounces of medical marijuana, while Measure 438 removes penalties for distribution of the substance and establishes a regulatory board to oversee it. Patients over 18 could obtain up to 5 ounces of medical marijuana at the recommendation of a medical professional. Patients under 18 could also be authorized with written parental consent.

Nebraska and Idaho are the only two states that have yet to pass legislation that permits some form of medical marijuana possession.

Measure 5 in North Dakota 

As of this morning, results show that North Dakota's ballot measure proposing the legalization of recreational marijuana has failed.

Measure 5 was defeated after securing only 47% approval.

Had it passed, the measure would have sanctioned possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana flower, 4 grams of cannabinoid concentrate, up to 1,500 mg of THC in the form of cannabinoid products, and 300 mg of edibles. Individuals would also have authorization to possess three plants each and up to six plants per household.

Under the measure, the state Legislature would have had to establish a department or agency to regulate the production and distribution of marijuana products. This department would have been allowed to sanction up to seven cultivation facilities and 18 marijuana retailers. 

North Dakota previously rejected measures related to legalizing marijuana in 2018 by 59% and 2022 by 55%. 

"Marijuana is not the harmless drug that some imagine it to be," the bishops of North Dakota wrote in a statement ahead of the election opposing the measure. "Regular marijuana use is also associated with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and suicide," they pointed out. "Significant numbers of users become addicted to marijuana, and it often serves as a gateway to even harder drugs."

Initiated Measure 29 in South Dakota 

South Dakota's measure on recreational marijuana use also appears to have failed, according to the latest polling at the time of publication. At the time of publication, results showed just 44% approval for the measure. 

Measure 29 sought to legalize recreational use, possession, and distribution of marijuana for individuals 21 and over. Under the measure, possession would be limited to 2 ounces of marijuana, 16 grams of concentrated cannabis, and 1,600 mg of THC in the form of cannabis products. Individuals would also be authorized to possess up to six plants each but no more than 12 plants per household. 

The measure placed limits on the use of marijuana in public areas where minors are present, such as preschools, elementary schools, high schools, and juvenile detention centers, as well as any public spaces where smoking tobacco is also prohibited. 

"As Christians, we must carefully consider how "recreational" marijuana legalization will affect the welfare of individuals and the common good," bishops in South Dakota said ahead of Election Day in a joint statement regarding the measure.

"There is a widespread perception in society today that marijuana is a harmless drug," they added. "This perception is radically at odds with the available evidence."

Question 4 on psychedelics in Massachusetts

A ballot initiative in Massachusetts that sought to legalize psychedelic drugs also appears to have failed after securing less than 45% approval. 

Question 4 is an indirectly initiated state statute on the Massachusetts ballot that would have legalized certain "natural" psychedelic substances and created an advisory board to regulate licensing and distribution. Currently, psychedelics are only legal in Oregon and Colorado. 

The measure permitted individuals 21 and over to possess, grow, and use natural psychedelic substances that derive from plants or fungi, such as Ibogaine and psilocybin.

Bishop Robert Joseph McManus of Worcester released a fact sheet on the measure last month in a letter to Catholic priests in the diocese. In it, he instructed them to urge the faithful to vote against the measure. 

"The use of such natural drugs can alter one's perception of reality, cause extreme feelings of euphoria or despair, and can worsen mental health issues," McManus wrote, further describing the measure as "reckless, irresponsible, and dangerous to the public."

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CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2024 / 10:15 am (CNA).

Voters in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota on Tuesday night voted down major pro-abortion proposals in their states, while seven other states saw voters approve measures to expand abortion, in several cases codifying abortion access into the state constitution.

After back-to-back pro-life losses in half a dozen states since 2022, the rejection of the pro-abortion measures in three states on Tuesday represent the first victories at the ballot box for pro-life advocates since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Meanwhile, several states that already do little to restrict abortion committed to make the procedure even more accessible. And in a handful of states, notably Missouri, Tuesday's results could ultimately negate the strong pro-life legal protections currently in place.

Here's a breakdown of the results in each state that voted on abortion Nov. 5.

Arizona codifies abortion as a 'fundamental right'

Voters in Arizona definitively approved Proposition 139, which provides constitutionally for a "fundamental right to abortion." The measure says the state cannot restrict abortion until the point of "viability," at approximately 24 weeks of pregnancy, unless it has a compelling reason and does so in the least restrictive way possible.

The measure also prevents the state from interfering with abortions after viability if, in the good faith judgment of a treating health care professional, an abortion is "necessary to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual."

The measure will undo Arizona's current abortion law, which restricts most abortions after 15 weeks. 

The Arizona Catholic Conference, representing the state's bishops, had in late August released a statement expressing "strong opposition" to Proposition 139, saying that despite its claims to be "moderate in nature," the language of the proposal would make Arizona "one of the most extreme states in terms of abortion."

Colorado solidifies its abortion bona fides

Already one of the most permissive states in the country in terms of abortion, Colorado voters approved Amendment 79, which enshrines in the state constitution the state laws already in place that allow abortion through all nine months of pregnancy.

Specifically, it amends the state constitution to say that the government "shall not deny, impede, or discriminate against the exercise of the right to abortion, including prohibiting health insurance coverage for abortion."

The Colorado Catholic Conference had strongly urged all people to vote no on Amendment 79, noting that among other things, it could open the door for direct taxpayer funding for abortion.

Florida rebuffs abortion lobby, keeps pro-life protections in place

Pro-life advocates expressed elation early in the night Nov. 5 as Florida voters rejected Amendment 4, which would have added a right to abortion before the point of "viability" to the state's constitution and allowed for abortions later in pregnancy if a woman's doctor deems it necessary to end the life of her child. 

The pro-abortion lobby poured more than $100 million into Florida in an effort to enshrine abortion in the state constitution and negate the state's Heartbeat Protection Act, one of the most pro-life laws in the country, which restricts abortion after six weeks of pregnancy with limited exceptions.

The measure failed after garnering 57% of the vote; it needed 60% to pass. The measure was strongly opposed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Catholic Church in Florida.

The pro-abortion amendment would have directed that "no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient's health." It offered no guidelines in determining a patient's "health," rather leaving that assessment up to "the patient's health care provider.

On Tuesday night, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops said it was "profoundly relieved at the defeat of Florida's pro-abortion Amendment 4."

"This is a positive outcome for Florida and all efforts to promote the flourishing of our state," the bishops said.

The bishops noted that though the amendment failed, "a majority of Floridians voting in the general election supported it."

"Much work remains to open hearts and minds to the dignity and goodness of life in the womb and at every stage," the bishops continued. "We will continue to proclaim in our churches and in the public square the value of every human life and to highlight that there is a better way forward for women, families, and society than abortion." 

Maryland overwhelmingly codifies abortion

Similar to Colorado, Maryland does little to protect unborn children and the measure approved by voters on Tuesday codifies its already permissive abortion laws into the state constitution. 

The Maryland Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment, or Question 1, cements an abortion "right" in the state's constitution and will make it impossible for pro-life laws to be enacted, advocates say. Maryland voters overwhelmingly approved the measure, with roughly 75% voting yes. 

Maryland currently places no gestational limits on abortion. Parental notice is required for a minor to have an abortion, but critics say that requirement is easy to circumvent.

The Catholic bishops of Maryland had warned that "a vote against the constitutional amendment is a vote for women and justice" — while acknowledging that "nothing regarding abortion would change in Maryland if this amendment does not pass."

Missouri votes to undo pro-life protections

Missouri was one of the first states to fully ban abortion after the fall of Roe v. Wade. On Tuesday, voters narrowly approved Amendment 3, which adds a "fundamental right to reproductive freedom" to the state constitution, threatening to undo decades of pro-life gains. 

Missouri's Amendment 3 prohibits "any regulation of abortion, including regulations designed to protect women undergoing abortions and prohibit any civil or criminal recourse against anyone who performs an abortion and hurts or kills the pregnant women," according to the secretary of state's office. 

It mandates that the government "shall not deny or infringe upon a person's fundamental right to reproductive freedom," including "prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions."

The amendment's appearance on the ballot was the subject of a court battle, with pro-lifers arguing that the final proposed language not only violated state law by failing to list which laws it would repeal but also mislead voters about the scope and gravity of what they would be voting for. The Missouri Supreme Court ultimately voted 4-3 to allow the measure to appear before voters. 

Missouri law had extended protection to unborn babies throughout all of pregnancy with the only exception being cases of "medical emergency."

The Missouri Catholic Conference, which advocates policy on behalf of the state's Catholic bishops, has called the measure "an extreme constitutional amendment that legalizes abortion at any stage of pregnancy with no protections for the preborn child, even when the child is capable of feeling pain."

Montana enshrines pro-abortion court ruling

Voters in Montana, where abortion has been legal for years due to a court ruling, voted roughly 57-43 to establish a "right" to abortion in the state constitution. 

Ballot Issue No. 14 amends the Montana Constitution "to expressly provide a right to make and carry out decisions about one's own pregnancy, including the right to abortion," according to the secretary of state's office.

The initiative, also known as CI-128, guarantees the right to abortion before fetal viability, enshrining a 1999 Montana Supreme Court ruling that held that pre-viability abortions fall under a constitutional "right to privacy."

Montana's Catholic bishops issued a joint letter in May denouncing the proposed pro-abortion constitutional amendment, calling the initiative an attack on the "recognition of the infinite dignity enjoyed by all persons" that fails to respect "life as a precious gift from God and recognize our sacred duty to nurture and protect every human life."

On a resource page about the amendment, the bishops noted that the vast majority of the funding for the pro-abortion amendment came from organizations outside Montana.

Nebraska considers competing measures to deliver pro-life victory

Nebraska voters were in the unusual position of choosing between two competing abortion-related ballot measures, one pro-life and one pro-abortion. The voters rejected the measure that would have expanded abortion and approved one that restricts abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy. 

The proposed "Protect Women and Children" amendment, Initiative 434, amends the state constitution to outlaw abortion "in the second and third trimesters" except in cases of medical emergencies or when the baby is the result of rape or incest. The measure passed roughly 55-45. 

Nebraska's current state law restricts abortion after roughly 12 weeks. 

Meanwhile, voters rejected the pro-abortion ballot measure, Initiative 439, which would have enshrined in the state constitution the "right" to have an abortion until the point of viability or later to protect the health of the pregnant woman.

Officials had clarified that because the Nebraska measures are mutually exclusive and could both be added to the constitution, the measure with the most "for" votes would be adopted.

Nevada takes a step toward fully codifying abortion

Nevadans approved a measure, Question 6, that if ultimately adopted will codify already-existing state laws into the state constitution that allow for abortion up to roughly 24 weeks into pregnancy.

The measure passed roughly 63-37. 

In Nevada, a simple majority vote in two consecutive elections is required for state constitutional amendments. So despite passing Nov. 5, the same measure must be approved in 2026 as well.

The Nevada Catholic Conference had urged all voters to vote no on Question 6, saying that among other things it will remove parental notification, consent, and family involvement from "all reproductive decisions for their minor children, including abortion."

New Yorkers vote to protect 'reproductive health care and autonomy'

An "equal rights" amendment will be added to the New York Constitution after voters approved it Tuesday. New York is already a haven for abortion, which is accessible through all nine months of pregnancy.

Though it does not explicitly mention abortion, New York's Proposal 1 will bar discrimination based on "pregnancy outcomes," "gender expression," and "reproductive health care and autonomy," effectively enshrining abortion in the state constitution.

On May 7, a New York state court blocked the proposal from reaching the ballot, citing procedural errors. A unanimous appellate court decision on June 18 reversed the lower court ruling, placing the measure back on the ballot.

The bishops of New York state had urged Catholic New Yorkers to oppose Proposal 1, warning that it would enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution as well as potentially restrict parents' rights to make medical and other decisions for their minor children, including so-called "gender affirming" procedures.

South Dakota keeps abortion ban in place

By a vote of nearly 60-40, voters in South Dakota rejected a measure that would have instituted a "right" to abortion there. The measure, Amendment G, would have established "a constitutional right to an abortion," legalizing abortion for any reason during the first trimester and allowing for the regulation of abortion after that point.

Michael Pauley, executive director of the South Dakota Catholic Conference, wrote in a September column that the battle over Amendment G "is a serious matter that affects both the common good of the state and the interests of the Church."

"A 'no' vote on G gives these babies a chance to be born. But if a majority vote 'yes,' these babies will die. That is the stark choice before us. Only rarely is an issue of such eternal significance placed into our hands," Pauley wrote.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 6, 2024 / 10:45 am (CNA).

With 90% of the vote tabulated as of 9 a.m. ET Wednesday, the effort to add a constitutional amendment in West Virginia prohibiting "medically assisted suicide, euthanasia, [and] mercy killing" was headed toward passage with the support of 50.5% of the Mountain State's voters. 

The amendment to the state constitution's bill of rights, titled "Protection Against Medically Assisted Suicide," would bar persons, physicians, and health care providers from participating in the practice. 

The amendment clarifies that the ban does not prohibit "the administration or prescription of medication for the purpose of alleviating pain or discomfort while the patient's condition follows its natural course; nor does anything in this section prohibit the withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment, as requested by the patient or the patient's decision-maker, in accordance with state law" nor does it prevent the state's use of capital punishment.

Bishop Mark Brennan of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston was vociferous in support of the measure, writing in a statement that "suicide, even if done for altruistic reasons, is a rejection of our place in the human community, because we choose to leave it before we have to."

In his statement, Brennan pointed out that medically assisted suicide "corrupts the medical profession" and that "many of the reasons that lead people to choose the help of medical personnel to end their lives can be met by nonlethal means."

Moral theologian and Creighton University School of Medicine professor Charles Camosy touted the results on Wednesday, noting in a post on X that the measure was in keeping with West Virginia's "history of defending human dignity."

West Virginia Congressman-elect Riley Moore, a Republican, also welcomed the vote, stating  "West Virginia stands for life, and we proved it tonight. The passage of Amendment 1 will protect WV's most vulnerable from medical killing — forever."

Assisted suicide is currently legal in the U.S. states of California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia.

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Vatican City, Nov 6, 2024 / 11:15 am (CNA).

Opening his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square with a prayer to Our Lady of the Forsaken (Virgen de los Desamparados), the patroness of Valencia, Spain, Pope Francis asked people to pray for the victims of flash floods in Spain.

"I wished to greet the Virgen de los Desamparados," the pope told the crowds of pilgrims at the Vatican after placing a white rose before her statue. "Today, in a special way, let us pray for Valencia and for the other areas of Spain that are suffering because of the water," the Holy Father said.

More than 200 people have been confirmed dead in Valencia since heavy rains hit the eastern province of Spain last week. An additional 90 people were reported missing after severe floods swept through the city, destroying homes and personal property, businesses, roads, and other public infrastructure.

Following his prayer to the Virgin Mary for the people of Spain, the pope continued his catechesis on the Holy Spirit and the Church, focusing on the theme of Christian prayer: "We pray to receive the Holy Spirit, and we receive the Holy Spirit in order to truly pray; that is, as children of God, not as slaves." 

Asking his listeners to reflect on St. Paul's letter to the Romans, which highlighted the need to learn from the Holy Spirit to "pray as we ought," the Holy Father emphasized that prayer should not come from a place of fear and punishment but from the freedom and spontaneity of a child who trusts in God.

"Each one of us have little ones — children [who are either] nephews, nieces, or [sons and daughters] of friends — and they always receive good things from us," he said. "And as [God] the father, will he not give good things to us?"

According to the Holy Father, the only "power" people have with God is prayer, as "he does not resist prayers." He said it is the Holy Spirit who teaches the Church and each Christian how to pray.

"He testifies to us that we are children of God and puts on our lips the cry 'Abba, Father!'" the pope said. "It is God who prays within us."

"True prayer," according to the Holy Father, is when one allows the Holy Spirit to come to the aid of our weakness and intercede for us "according to God's will."

"Jesus says first seek the kingdom of God and all these things will be given you besides," the pope said. "Instead, we seek something above and beyond — namely our own interests — and we completely forget to ask for the kingdom of God."

Pray for peace, sustained by faith and hope

Turning his attention to the needs of those suffering around the world, including the sick and elderly, Pope Francis asked his listeners to pray for those in war-torn countries at the conclusion of his Nov. 6 general audience.

"We must not forget martyred Ukraine that suffers so much. We must not forget Palestine and Israel. The other day 153 civilians were killed. It's very sad. We must not forget Myanmar, and we must not forget Valencia in Spain," he said.

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CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2024 / 05:45 am (CNA).

Donald Trump on Wednesday won his reelection bid for president, defeating Democratic opponent Vice President Kamala Harris and becoming the first president in nearly 130 years to secure a nonconsecutive White House victory. 

Multiple news networks called the race for the Republican president-elect on Wednesday morning. Fox News had called the race for Trump hours earlier.

Early Wednesday morning Trump had posted a 276-219 lead in the Electoral College over Harris as well as a 5 million lead in the popular vote.

"This was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time," Trump said in Florida in the early hours of Wednesday morning. "There's never been anything like this in this country, and maybe beyond."

"And now it's going to reach a new level of importance because we're going to help our country heal," he said.

"Every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future," he continued. "Every single day, I will be fighting for you. And with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe, and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve."

The victory caps what has effectively been a four-year effort by Trump to retake the White House after he lost his first reelection bid to President Joe Biden in 2020. 

Trump has spent most of Biden's term shoring up political support among Republicans and conservatives while fending off numerous legal challenges from state and federal prosecutors, one of which ended in a felony conviction. 

The GOP president-elect worked to build a broad coalition of allies and supporters, particularly in the final year of the race, when he drew endorsements from public figures as diverse as Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Buzz Aldrin, and Peter Thiel. 

Trump also appealed aggressively for the Catholic vote, arguing that Harris is "very destructive … to the Catholic Church" and slamming Harris for skipping the annual Al Smith dinner in New York City. 

In July the now-president-elect picked Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate. Vance, a Catholic, is one of the most overtly religious major politicians in America and made faith a central part of his campaign, warning Catholics of Harris' alleged "anti-Catholic bias" and arguing that many Catholic voters "feel abandoned" by Harris and Biden. 

Vance on Wednesday described Trump's victory as "the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America."

"We're never going to stop fighting for you, for your dreams, for the future of your children," Vance said, vowing also an "economic comeback"under the Trump administration.

Trump himself told "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo" in October that he would continue to back religious liberty in his second term, describing it as "a stance that I've taken from the beginning."

In September, meanwhile, Trump's campaign launched a "Catholics for Trump" coalition, which emphasized the defense of religious liberty, traditional values, and the sanctity of human life as priorities of his agenda.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 5, 2024 / 23:57 pm (CNA).

The Catholic vote on Tuesday broke for former President Donald Trump by a large margin nationwide and within swing states in the 2024 presidential election, according to exit polls published by the Washington Post, the Associated Press, and NBC News. 

According to the Washington Post's exit poll, Trump won the national Catholic vote by a 15-point margin: 56% to 41%. This shows a much larger victory for Trump among Catholic voters than the Post's 2020 exit polls, which showed Trump with only a five-point lead above President Joe Biden, 52% to 47%. 

The shift represents a 10-point swing in favor of Trump from 2020 to 2024.

The Washington Post poll also found that 69% of voters who believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases voted for Harris, but Trump managed to win 28% of voters who held the same view. 

Trump also won 90% of voters who believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases and Harris won 9% of voters who held that view. 

An exit poll from the Associated Press VoteCast showed Trump leading among Catholic voters, but by a smaller seven-point margin than the Post's poll. According to the poll, Trump won the Catholic vote with about 52% compared to Harris's 45%.

However, the poll also found that 46% of Catholic voters trusted Harris more on abortion policy, while only 36% trusted Trump more on that issue. About 10% trusted neither and 6% trusted both.

According to the poll, 61% of Catholic voters said abortion should be legal in all or most cases and only 38% said it should be illegal in all or most cases. It found that Catholic voters were evenly split on the question of whether abortion should be illegal after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with 49% favoring such a law and 49% opposing it. 

The poll found that Catholic voters trusted Trump more than Harris on immigration by a massive 25-point margin, 57% to 32%. It also found that Catholics trusted Trump more on the economy by a 19-point margin, 55% to 36%. 

According to the poll, 59% of Catholics were concerned that Harris was too extreme and 58% felt the same way about Trump. About 73% of Catholic voters said they were primarily voting to support their candidate, but 27% of Catholic voters said they were primarily voting to oppose the other candidate.

This shows Trump heavily outperforming earlier polls of Catholics. A poll conducted by Pew in September only showed the former president with a five-point lead over the vice president, beating her 52% compared to 47%. 

Catholic voters in 10 key swing states polled by NBC voted for Trump by a 15-point margin, with 56% of the vote going to the former president and only 41% going to Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Trump's lead was slightly larger among white Catholic voters with 60% supporting the former president and 37% backing Harris. 

According to the poll, Catholics accounted for 22% of the voters in those states and white Catholics accounted for 15% of the voters.

The states included in the NBC poll were Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Both Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, courted the Catholic vote heavily in the last few weeks of the election. In late October, Trump called Harris "destructive to Christianity" and said Catholics are "treated worse than anybody." In that same week, Vance published an op-ed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, accusing Harris of "prejudice against Catholics." 

The race had yet to be called as of midnight on Tuesday, but the New York Times live forecast estimated that Trump has more than a 90% chance of winning the election. 

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CNA Staff, Nov 5, 2024 / 20:50 pm (CNA).

A proposed pro-abortion amendment in Florida failed to pass on Tuesday, bringing an end to an effort to enshrine broad abortion access in the state constitution and serving abortion advocates with a major defeat in the 2024 election. 

The failure of Amendment 4 offers a sharp rebuke to the pro-abortion lobby, which poured more than $100 million into Florida in an effort to enshrine abortion in the state constitution and negate the state's Heartbeat Protection Act, one of the most pro-life laws in the country. 

Prior to the Tuesday vote there were indications that the measure might fail. Less than a week before Election Day, polling indicated that support for the ballot measure was just short of the requisite 60% it needed to pass.

By 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, with roughly 90% of the vote counted, returns showed Amendment 4 with about 57% of voters in favor, failing to clear the 60% threshold.

"Amendment 4 has failed," Gov. Ron DeSantis said on X on Tuesday night.

One of 10 states with abortion on the ballot in 2024, the Florida contest was watched closely as a possible bellwether for the abortion fight in the U.S. The measure was vocally opposed by both DeSantis and the Catholic Church in Florida.

On Tuesday night, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops said it was "profoundly relieved at the defeat of Florida's pro-abortion Amendment 4."

"This is a positive outcome for Florida and all efforts to promote the flourishing of our state," the bishops said.

The bishops noted that though the amendment failed, "a majority of Floridians voting in the general election supported it."

"While significant gains to protect women and preborn children in recent years will remain in place, abortion in Florida will continue at a very high rate under our current laws," they said.

"Much work remains to open hearts and minds to the dignity and goodness of life in the womb and at every stage," the bishops continued. "We will continue to proclaim in our churches and in the public square the value of every human life and to highlight that there is a better way forward for women, families, and society than abortion."

If passed, the Florida rule would have established abortion access through all nine months of pregnancy. 

It directed that "no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient's health."

It offered no guidelines in determining a patient's "health," rather leaving that assessment up to "the patient's health care provider."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 5, 2024 / 16:30 pm (CNA).

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said that Catholic voters and Pennsylvania voters will be key to the 2024 presidential and down-ballot elections during a brief interview with EWTN News in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.

"President [Donald] Trump … takes [the Catholic vote] very seriously," Johnson told EWTN News' Mark Irons in an Election Day interview while greeting voters outside of the Farmersville Elementary School in the Bethlehem suburb.

The speaker said the Catholic voting bloc is "absolutely" important to this year's election outcome. 

"[Trump] often asks me, 'Will the Catholics like this? Will the evangelicals like this?'" Johnson continued. "... He wants to make sure that they understand that he's the one fighting for their principles."

Johnson said that Trump was "the greatest president we've had in the modern era with regard to issues like religious freedom and family values and the things that our people care about." He said "we have to defend the faith in the court of public opinion" and contrasted the Republican Party's approach to faith with the Democratic Party's approach. 

"The Democratic Party has taken a far-left turn," Johnson said. "And when they're Marxist in their ideology, remember, Marxism begins with the premise that there is no God. And so this really is a contrast between two completely different worldviews, two different visions for who we are as a nation and who we're going to be. And President Trump gets that."

Recent polling has shown the Catholic vote nearly evenly divided. A September Pew Research Center survey found that about 52% of Catholics support Trump and 47% back Vice President Kamala Harris. A poll conducted by National Catholic Reporter found that Catholics in the most tightly contested swing states preferred Trump, with the former president polling 50% to Harris' 45%.

Both Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, have courted Catholic voters toward the end of the election. In late October, Trump said Harris was "destructive to Christianity" and that Catholics are "treated worse than anybody." In the same week, Vance penned an op-ed for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that accused Harris of consistent "prejudice against Catholics."

The campaign's push for Catholic voters escalated after Harris refused to attend the Al Smith charity dinner. The dinner, hosted by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York, is traditionally attended by both major party presidential candidates in election years.

Johnson's Election Day visit to Pennsylvania reflects the focus both parties have put on the Keystone State. Polls show the two candidates nearly tied in the commonwealth with 19 Electoral College delegates up for grabs.

"I think what happens in Pennsylvania decides the fate of America," Johnson told EWTN. 

"That's why there's so much attention being paid here," the speaker added. "... We have key seats that we're trying to flip for the Republican Party."

Johnson noted that both Trump and Vance have campaigned in Pennsylvania several times in the past month: "[There's] a lot of energy, a lot of time, a lot of attention being paid here because it matters that much."

Bethlehem Township is located in the Northampton County battleground, which President Joe Biden won in 2020 and Trump won in 2016.

When asked whether the election would be certified regardless of who wins, Johnson said: "Of course." 

"We're going to follow the Constitution," he added, saying there's "too much emotion, too much misinformation out there" and "everybody needs to calm down."

"Let's do our civic duty," Johnson continued. "Let's have an American election and then it'll be certified. I think it's going to be too big to rig. I think President Trump's going to win today, and I think we're going to win the Senate and the House."

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