SPOKANE, Wash. — The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane is voicing his opposition to Catholic politicians who support abortion.
In a Feb. 1 letter from the Diocese of Spokane, Most Reverend Thomas Daly wrote that “politicians who reside in the Catholic Diocese of Spokane, and who obstinately persevere in their public support for abortion, should not receive Communion without first being reconciled to Christ and the Church.”
“The Church’s commitment to the life of every human person from conception until death is firm. God alone is the author of life and for the civil government to sanction the willful murder of children is unacceptable. For a Catholic political leader to do so is scandalous,” Daly wrote in the letter.
In the letter, Daly references recent U.S. legislation aimed at expanding access to abortion.
In New York, a new law safeguards rights laid out in Roe v. Wade and other court rulings, including a provision permitting late-term abortions when a woman’s health is endangered, according to The Associated Press. The state's previous law, which had been on the books for nearly 50 years, only permitted abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy if a woman's life was at risk.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill in late January.
A new bill proposed in the Virginia legislature would loosen restrictions on abortions during the third trimester and allow abortions during the second trimester to take place outside hospitals, according to CBS News. The bill would also require only one doctor to make the determination that the pregnancy threatens a woman’s life or health.
“Efforts to expand access to abortion, allowing murder of children up to the moment of birth is evil. Children are a gift from God, no matter the circumstances of their conception. They not only have a right to life, but we as a society have a moral obligation to protect them from harm,” Daly wrote of the decisions.
“The champion of this abortion legislation is Andrew Cuomo, a Catholic and governor of New York. Governor Cuomo frequently cites his Catholic faith in support of legislation he favors. His public witness as a Catholic politician, coupled with his stalwart support of abortion, is unacceptable,” he continued.
Daly’s full letter is available to read online.
CBS News contributed to this report.