Beaumont Guillory statement on Supreme Court ruling that puts Texas women at risk

Beaumont Bishop Curtis Guillory, S.V.D., says he is deeply saddened by the Supreme Court decision that puts women’s health at grave risk.  Bishop Guillory joined his brother bishops in expressing his grave concern for the 5-3 decision that struck down Texas HB2, a law that protects women’s safety while seeking an abortion.

“The lives of these women are just as precious as those of their children, and we should not be putting them at risk,” said Bishop Guillory.

The Texas State Legislature had overwhelmingly approved HB2 whose main purpose is to secure surgical center, health and safety standards for women seeking an abortion and required abortion doctors to have to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.

In issuing a statement today the Texas Catholic Bishops reiterated their concerns about surgical abortion as an invasive procedure that poses numerous and serious medical complications such as hemorrhage, infection and uterine perforation and then said physicians who performed the procedure without providing follow-up treatment for the complications were acting irresponsibly.

“The Catholic Church here in Texas, along with Catholics and pro-life people across the U.S. and the world, will continue our efforts to actively protect all life and human dignity from conception to natural death. And we will continue to pray that all join us in the realization of how precious this gift of life is,” said Bishop Guillory.

Texas bishops issued their statement today through the Texas Catholic Conference, an association of the Roman Catholic bishops of Texas that provides a moral and social public policy voice that includes monitoring all legislation pertaining to Catholic moral and social teaching.

Early this year the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ General Counsel had filed an amicus curiae brief calling for the Texas law to be upheld on behalf of USCCB, the Texas Catholic Conference, and several other Christian partners.