Letter from Cardinal O'Malley to House on Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (2015)

Letter from Cardinal Seán O'Malley, Chairman, Committee on Pro-Life Activities, to House of Representatives on H.R. 36 Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, January 20, 2015

In this January 20, 2015 letter, Cardinal Seán O’Malley, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, urges members of the U.S. House of Representatives to support H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would restrict most abortions performed after 20 weeks post-fertilization.

Cardinal O'Malley's letter reiterates the Catholic Church’s teaching that every human life deserves legal protection from conception onward and that society should address the circumstances leading women to seek abortion by supporting both mother and child. At the same time, he acknowledges that many Americans do not share the Church’s broader position on abortion and presents H.R. 36 as a more limited proposal that could attract wider support.

Impact of the Gosnell Case

The letter cites the conviction of abortion provider Kermit Gosnell as evidence that many Americans were disturbed by practices involving late-term abortions. It argues that the case exposed weaknesses in abortion laws and led people to question the permissibility of abortions performed late in pregnancy.

Three Lessons Identified

The letter highlights three conclusions drawn from the Gosnell case: 

• Questions about viability standards: legal standards based on fetal viability are uncertain and difficult to apply. 
• Risks to women: Late-term abortion procedures are described as posing serious health risks for women, citing deaths and complications associated with such procedures. 
• Concerns about late-stage abortions generally: the moral concerns raised by late-term abortions are not resolved merely by moving such procedures to different facilities.

Cardinal O’Malley presents the proposed 20-week abortion ban as a “common-sense” reform that could unite people with differing views on abortion. He urges lawmakers to support the bill and oppose amendments that would weaken its provisions. H.R. 36 offers a practical step toward greater protection for unborn children while addressing concerns raised by late-term abortion practices, particularly those highlighted by the Gosnell case.

Letter-to-House-of-Representatives-HR-36-Pain-Capable-Unborn-Child-Protection-Act-2015.pdf