Catholics Vote No | Pledge to Vote

In the Commonwealth of Virginia this fall there will be two amendments on the ballot which threaten constitutional justice, the equal protection of the laws, and religious liberty: the “Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment” and the “Virginia Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment.“

As Catholics, we vote “no” on these proposed amendments because we recognize that these are matters of basic and fundamental justice and concern matters of intrinsic right and wrong. Although many matters in political life call for strictly prudential personal judgments over which Catholics may in good faith disagree, certain fundamental matters such as marriage and the protection of human life call for a consistent and universal response from Catholics to protect and preserve objective goods by which God blesses humanity.

If written into Virginia’s Constitution, it would be extraordinarily difficult to later reverse these unjust amendments. Virginia would effectively become a sanctuary for abortion and commercial abortion businesses. Basic health and safety standards that protect women from harm would be eliminated, parents would be pushed out of life-altering decisions involving their family and children, and unregulated abortions would be possible on healthy babies up to the moment of birth for any reason with no limits.

At the same time, Virginia’s constitution would mislead future generations concerning the truth about marriage by adopting a false legal definition of marriage that would further erode a public sense of marriage and a natural institution binding one man and one woman. Additionally, the amendment would further protect a growing commercial surrogacy industry which violates the natural rights of children and exploits vulnerable mothers.

Virginia lawmakers have framed the ballot language as a general question about women’s healthcare and medical decision-making. However, this is blatantly misleading and does not accurately represent what would happen if the amendment were enacted. In truth, the amendment expands abortion up to the moment of birth, endangers women’s health and safety, and pushes parents out of life-changing and irreversible decisions within their families. 

The exact ballot language for the “Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment” is as follows: 

“Question: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) protect the freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care; (ii) protect doctors, nurses, and patients from being punished for these decisions; and (iii) allow for restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient’s health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive?” 

 If passed, this dangerously vague amendment would remove critical safeguards and embed extreme policies into the Virginia state Constitution. It would create unregulated abortions at any time, even up until birth, by unlicensed abortion providers, threatening the health of mothers and even healthy babies. It lets the government take away the involvement of parents in their right to be included in healthcare decisions with their children, creating family division and conflict. 

In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unjustly in its Obergefell decision and enshrined a false conception of marriage and family into American life. This Supreme Court decision rejected the truth that marriage and family are natural goods, instead creating a fundamental right to marry based on autonomy that is now leading to a growing commercial surrogacy industry, where couples are now able to effectively purchase human beings, violate the natural rights of children, and exploit vulnerable mothers.  

Virginia lawmakers are now proposing to enshrine this same false legal definition of marriage into our Commonwealth’s constitution, as a way to perpetuate these injustices in the event that the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision is eventually overturned.  

The exact ballot language for the “Virginia Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment” is as follows: 

“Question: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) remove the ban on same-sex marriage; (ii) affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and (iii) require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?” 

By voting “no” on this amendment, you will be voting to uphold a Virginia constitution that recognizes the truth of marriage as a natural institution between one man and one woman. 

Pledge to vote this fall by completing the form on this landing page. Consider contacting your parish to find out ways you can assist your pastor in spreading the word in your local community!

Click here for steps on organizing a voter registration drive at your parish as developed by the Virginia Catholic Conference.

Yes. Although it is always better to officially register in advance, it is possible to register the same day you vote via a provisional ballot.