日本語要約
米国マサチューセッツ州のカトリック司教4人（ボストンのヘニング大司教、ウースター、フォールリバー、スプリングフィールドの各司教）は2026年11月8日、モーラ・ヒーリー州知事が11月6日に緊急権限を用いて、妊娠後期の中絶を医師の判断に委ねる新しい州法を即時施行したことに対し声明を出しました。この措置により、2028年の住民投票まで法律の施行を停止させようとした反対運動の試みは阻まれたと報じられています。司教たちは、いのちを奪う中絶を医療と見なすことには「敬意をもって、しかし強く」反対し、緊急性も認められないと述べました。また、ウルグアイでの教皇レオ14世の言葉を引用し、困難にある母親と父親、家族を支えるよう州内の共同体に呼びかけました。
The four Catholic bishops of Massachusetts have publicly disagreed with Governor Maura Healey’s decision to bring a new abortion law into force immediately.
According to the National Catholic Reporter, Healey used her executive authority on 6 November 2026 to attach an emergency preamble to the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act, which she signed in August. The law leaves decisions on abortion at or after 24 weeks to “the professional judgment of the physician”. The move blocked a petition campaign, which organisers said had gathered nearly 100,000 signatures, from suspending the law until voters decide on its repeal in a 2028 referendum. In a statement reported by NCR, the governor, who is Catholic, said families “should not have to go without the care they need” while that process plays out, and that voters will have their say.
In a message dated 8 November and published by the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, Archbishop Henning of Boston, Bishop McManus of Worcester, Bishop da Cunha of Fall River and Bishop Byrne of Springfield wrote that they “respectfully and passionately disagree that abortion, the taking of human life, may be considered health care”, and that they also disagree “that there is an emergency”.
The bishops drew on Pope Leo XIV’s address in Uruguay, quoting him as saying that “the unborn already belong to the human family” and that “the right to life is the indispensable foundation of every other human right.” They thanked those who worked on the repeal effort, asked legislators to reconsider what they called a “utilitarian and merciless approach to the elderly, the sick, the vulnerable, and the unborn”, and asked Catholic communities to accompany expectant mothers and fathers in crisis.
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