Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio addressed the proposed changes in the state’s abortion law in a statement that was read at all Masses on the weekend of June 8-9.

In the statement, the bishop said:

“Women in our state have a right to expect equal treatment under the law. They have a right to employment that respects their human dignity and therefore be free from bias or harassment. You are urged to call Governor Cuomo and express your outrage that he would jeopardize these very important concerns by advocating dangerous provisions that jeopardize women’s health and unnecessarily expand a culture of death and abortion in our state. So please take out your phone and input the telephone number for the Governor’s Office 518-474-8390 or go to nyscatholic.org for more information.”

Legalizing Abortion-on-Demand

Last week, the New York State Catholic Conference stated its opposition to the governor’s proposal because it would virtually legalize abortion-on-demand in the state. The bishops said:

“Instead of expanding abortion and making abortions even more prevalent, we would like to protect both the woman and the child in the womb. In New York, where one in every three pregnancies ends in abortion (and upwards of six in 10 in certain communities), it is clear that we as a state have lost sight of that child’s dignity. We pledge all our efforts to defeat this proposal.

“We call on all pro-life New Yorkers to stand together with us and with all the leadership in Albany who share our conviction that we have no need for such a bill to become law. We need instead to enhance and promote the life and dignity of all human beings from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.”

Pro-life groups have charged that Gov. Cuomo is playing a dangerous game of politics by holding hostage a good bill that would protect many of the rights of women by including the deadly abortion proposal.

The Republican leadership in Albany said that it is opposed to the abortion plank and would oppose passage of the act.