Catholics for Choice Issue an Open Letter on Behalf of Catholic Majority’s Support for Reproductive Freedom

Missouri – Today, Catholics for Choice, which serves the Catholic majority who support reproductive freedom, issued an open letter calling to dismantle religious-rooted barriers to abortion care and to calling out politicians and the Church’s hierarchy for using faith to undermine the will of voters.

“Yet, some out-of-touch politicians are using deceptive practices to force their religious beliefs on others, over the will of the people,” the letter states. “Abortion is a complex moral matter, and using the Constitution to override someone else’s conscience on it is not the church’s or the state’s role. Amendment 3 takes away the space for each person to decide according to their own conscience, in consultation with their doctor, their family, and their God.”

The majority of Catholics support access to abortion and other protections in the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment, such as birth control. Studies show 63% of Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, 1 in 4 abortion patients is Catholic, and just 8% of Catholics agree with the bishops’ stance on abortion.

Stop the Ban issued the following statement:

“We know that a majority of Missourians across all faiths, including Catholic Missourians, believe in reproductive freedom, not in spite of their faith, but because of their faith. Instead of respecting the will of the voters, anti-abortion politicians are using dirty tricks to deceive us. Missourians already know the dangers of taking away a woman’s right to make her own medical decisions, and are ready to vote NO on Amendment 3 to stop the abortion ban.”

“Catholics in Missouri deserve the right to make deeply personal health care decisions around pregnancy and abortion, without interference from faith or political leaders,” said Nicole McCurdy, Organizing and Engagement Specialist at Catholics for Choice. “Missourians made their stance clear in 2024 when they voted to end the abortion ban. We stand with all Missourians who are leading with their conscience and defending access by voting no on Amendment 3 this November."

Catholics for Choice was established in 1973. They have worked across the country to ensure that all people have access to reproductive health care and to infuse their core values into public policy, community life, and Catholic social thinking and teaching. They work to dismantle religiously based obstructions to abortion care, contraceptive access, and comprehensive health care, particularly because these barriers disproportionately affect people of color, the poor, and the vulnerable.

Read the letter here.

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The No on 3, Stop the Ban Campaign is the coalition of grassroots Missouri organizations and volunteers committed to defending Missourians’ fundamental right to reproductive freedom in the state constitution. The coalition behind Stop The Ban Missouri includes Abortion Action Missouri, the ACLU of Missouri, Action St. Louis Power Project, Beacon Reproductive Health Network, Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action, PROMO, and the Fairness Project.