WASHINGTON - The U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities is inviting Catholics to join a focused effort of prayer and action to stop the spread of abortion pills. The initiative will take place August 18 through October 31, which includes the month-long commemoration of Respect Life Month observed each October by the Catholic Church in the United States. “Every abortion involves the death of a child and harm to the mother,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB, and Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, in a joint invitation announcing the initiative. “Now with easier access to abortion pills, the abortion rate is tragically climbing, along with increased health risks.”In addition to invoking the intercession of St. Joseph, Defender of Life (English/en español), participants can learn about the danger of abortion pills which have

WASHINGTON - The Voting Rights Act was signed into law on August 6, 1965. The landmark legislation helped advance equal access to the ballot and strengthened participation in our democracy. In recognition of the six decades since it was enacted, and its continued significance today, Bishop Daniel E. Garcia, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation issued a statement.“The Voting Rights Act of 1965 emerged from the sacrifices and perseverance of countless individuals who worked to secure the fundamental right to vote, particularly for communities of color that had long faced discrimination and exclusion.“Today, many communities of color worry about how recent developments will impact their fair representation and future participation in the democratic process. Echoing our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, we affirm the value of democracy ‘insofar as it guarantees the effective participation o