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On Palm Sunday, pope prays people open hearts to God, quell all hatred

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Only Jesus can deliver humanity from hatred and violence, Pope Francis said on Palm Sunday.
 
"Jesus entered Jerusalem as a humble and peaceful king," he said in brief remarks after celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square. He prayed that the faithful would open their hearts to the Lord because he alone "can deliver us from animosity, hatred, violence, because he is mercy and the forgiveness of sins."

On a sunny and windy day, about 60,000 people attended the Mass March 24, which began with a solemn procession of hundreds of people carrying green palm branches followed by about 60 cardinals and bishops, carrying "palmurelli," pale green palm branches that were woven and braided. 

palm sunday
Prelates carry palm fronds in procession as Pope Francis looks on at the start of the celebration of Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 24, 2024. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Dressed in red vestments, the color of the Passion, Pope Francis presided over the Mass, the solemn beginning of Holy Week, but he skipped the homily and did not have an aide read any prepared remarks. Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches, was the main celebrant at the altar.

The Vatican offered no explanation about why there was no homily. The pope did read brief remarks after praying the Angelus, greeted the cardinals in attendance from his wheelchair, and he rode in the popemobile for about 15 minutes enthusiastically greeting the faithful, waving, gesturing, offering a thumbs up and occasionally calling out remarks to those he saw. 

In his brief remarks, he expressed his sorrow over a deadly attack in Moscow March 22 in which more than 130 people were killed inside a crowded concert venue.

He prayed for the victims of this "cowardly terrorist attack" and called for the conversion of the "hearts of those who plan, organize and carry out these inhumane actions that offend God, who commanded, 'Thou shalt not kill.'"

The pope extended his prayers to all people who suffer because of war, particularly those in Ukraine, "where so many people find themselves without electricity because of intense attacks against the infrastructure that, in addition to causing death and suffering, carry the risk of an even larger humanitarian catastrophe." 

He also asked people not to forget about the people of Gaza who "are suffering so much" and the many other places experiencing war.

Pope: Pray for war-torn regions this Holy Week

Pope: Pray for war-torn regions this Holy Week

A look at Pope Francis' Palm Sunday.

The most popular questions about Palm Sunday — and their answers

A priest holds palms on Palm Sunday. / Grant Whitty via Unsplash.

CNA Staff, Mar 24, 2024 / 04:00 am (CNA).

When is Palm Sunday 2024? 

Palm Sunday is on March 24, 2024. 

What is the meaning of Palm Sunday? 

Palm Sunday is the day we remember and honor Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem before his crucifixion. As Jesus entered the city on a donkey, people gathered and laid palm branches and their cloaks across Jesus’ path, shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” It is also significant because it fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. For example, Jesus rode into the city on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9. 

When was Palm Sunday first celebrated? 

According to Brittanica, the earliest evidence of Palm Sunday being celebrated dates back to the eighth century.

Why do we use palm branches on Palm Sunday? 

The palm symbolized victory in the ancient world. All four Gospels tell us that people cut branches from palm trees and laid them across Jesus’ path and waved them in the air as he entered Jerusalem triumphantly a week before his death. As the Church enters Holy Week, the faithful use palms to commemorate his victory and Jesus’ passion liturgically. 

What kind of palms are used for Palm Sunday? Where do they come from?

Palm harvesters can be found around the world. However, a certain kind of palm tree grown in Florida called cabbage palmetto makes up a large majority of the palms used in U.S. parishes. 

Where is Palm Sunday found in the Bible? 

The account of Palm Sunday can be found in Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, and John 12:12–19.

Who celebrates Palm Sunday?

Catholic and Protestant communities celebrate Palm Sunday. 

Is Palm Sunday a holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church? 

Yes. Since every Sunday is a holy day of obligation, Palm Sunday is also a holy day of obligation.

How do you make a cross out of palms?

Watch this video with step-by-step instructions.

Can you eat meat on Palm Sunday? 

Yes, you can eat meat on Palm Sunday. Sundays during Lent are still celebrations of the Resurrection. Abstinence from meat, the traditional form of Lenten penance, occurs on Fridays during Lent. Fasting, which involves abstaining from meat and eating only one meal with two smaller snacks that do not equal the size of the main meal, occurs on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Are Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday the same? 

Yes. Palm Sunday can also be referred to as Passion Sunday. Palm Sunday comes from the fact that it honors Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, where the people carried palm branches. It also is called Passion Sunday because the Gospel narrative of Jesus’ passion is read on this Sunday. 

What is the link between Palm Sunday and Ash Wednesday? 

The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are the burned palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. That means the palms used this year will be burned into ashes to be used during Ash Wednesday next year.

What are the Palm Sunday colors? 

Red is worn on Palm Sunday in honor of the Lord’s passion.

How long is Palm Sunday Mass? 

This will vary but it will most likely be over an hour long. In many parishes, Mass begins with a procession. The procession symbolizes those who went to meet the Lord as he entered Jerusalem. The Gospel reading is also much longer than usual. The Passion narrative is read and the faithful participate throughout the reading.

Can you say ‘Happy Palm Sunday’? 

Yes, of course!

This story was first published April 9, 2022, and was updated March 20, 2024.

Catholic medical school at Benedictine College seeks accreditation, eyes 2027 opening

Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. Courtesy photo. / null

CNA Staff, Mar 23, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A new Catholic, osteopathic medical school that will be housed on the campus of Benedictine College hopes to open in the fall of 2027, the project’s founding president told CNA this week. 

Dr. George Mychaskiw, an osteopath and a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist, told CNA that the school in February completed its application to the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, the body designated by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit programs that grant the doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) degree. 

The planned school, first announced last September and dubbed the St. Padre Pio Institute for the Relief of Suffering, will adhere to Ex Corde Ecclesiae, St. John Paul II’s 1990 apostolic constitution on the mission of Catholic colleges and universities. 

It will be housed on the campus of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, but as a separate institution. The school aims for “candidate status” by December 2025, with classes beginning during fall 2027. (Legally, because of the accreditation process, the school cannot yet advertise for or accept prospective students, Mychaskiw noted.)

The Catholic medical school will aim to “emphasize that all life is equal and equally worthy and equally precious from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death,” the DO said. The school aims to train new doctors — who will, upon graduation, practice in a world replete with moral challenges — in Catholic bioethics, morality, and theology.

“We’ll be the only medical school in the world that is under the apostolic doctrine of Ex Corde Ecclesiae, which will make it the most faithful Catholic medical school, we believe, in the world, certainly in the United States … the most pro-life, the most pro-family medical school in the country,” he said.

There are several dozen osteopathic medical schools in the U.S., which teach almost one-third of U.S. medical students. There are a handful of Catholic osteopathic schools. The first opened in 2013 at the Indianapolis-based Marian University, a Franciscan institution.

The training process for osteopathic doctors is rigorous, and about 11% of practicing physicians in the U.S. are DOs and a quarter of all medical students are studying to become DOs, the accrediting body says.

Mychaskiw has founded several secular medical schools across the country. He said the osteopathic profession’s emphasis on treating the whole person rather than the specific disease or symptoms at hand make it a good fit for a Catholic medical school. 

“Osteopathic physicians believe that a person is a mind, body, and spirit, and you can’t treat one without affecting everything else. And our job is not so much to treat disease as to find health and wellness,” he explained. 

Beyond that, Mychaskiw said, the faithful environment of Benedictine College, where spiritual support from the monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey is readily available, will be a boon for medical students, who frequently suffer high rates of stress and burnout on the path toward their degree. 

“We know a lot of stories of young students that come in and get broken by the system. They suffer from stress and anxiety and depression,” he noted. 

“We believe a supportive, faithful environment in a joyful and loving atmosphere of faith will provide a better learning experience and make these people better physicians and more comfortable and joyful in their work.”

The school will accept all students, regardless of their religion, but the school will have “a Catholic-based code of conduct by which they will have to adhere.” The school plans to participate in federally guaranteed student loan programs, at least under current guidelines.

“If in the future, criteria change and the federal government put mandates on the school that would be in contrast or contrary to its Catholic orientation, then we’re ready to forgo federal student loans,” Mychaskiw noted, adding that it is “very easy for medical students to get private loans outside of the federal Title IV system.”

The involvement of Catholic bishops — including Cardinal Raymond Burke, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, and Archbishop Joseph Naumann — and clergy on the board of trustees underscores the school’s commitment to maintaining its Catholic identity, Mychaskiw said, while at the same time the school plans to welcome students of diverse backgrounds and faiths.

Mychaskiw said they have explored the possibility of building a new, 100,000-square-foot building on Benedictine’s campus as well as the repurposing of existing buildings. Collaboration with Benedictine College’s school of architecture is planned, he said, to ensure the new building’s design aligns with the college’s architectural style and functional requirements.

“It’s very hard to overstate the importance of the project. It’s just a matter of the practicalities of getting the money together,” he said, noting that it is “about a $120 million project.”

‘It’s a minor miracle’: Parishioners purchase historic church from Pennsylvania diocese 

The exterior of St. Joseph's in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Paula Kydoniefs

CNA Staff, Mar 23, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A group of parishioners in the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, is celebrating this month after acquiring a historic church from the diocese and preserving it as a chapel and place of worship.

The Society of St. Joseph of Bethlehem (SSJB) in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, announced earlier this month that the society had purchased St. Joseph’s Church, which opened more than a century ago, from the Allentown Diocese.

“The desire to preserve the church by former parishioners has been steadfast since the church was closed in 2008,” the society’s board said in a letter announcing the purchase. “It has taken time and energy over the years to enter into an agreement with the Diocese of Allentown.”

On its Facebook page, the SSJB says its mission is “to restore and preserve St. Joseph’s Church as a sacred place of worship and a testament to the history and cultural heritage” of the area.

Lina Tavarez, a spokeswoman for the diocese, said the parish ”was closed in 2008 because of a merger of several local parishes.”

“It hosted only one regular Mass per year — on the feast day of St. Joseph — and was available for funerals for former parishioners,” she said.

The Mass of the solemnity of St. Joseph at St. Joseph's Parish in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Credit: Susan Vitez
The Mass of the solemnity of St. Joseph at St. Joseph's Parish in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Credit: Susan Vitez

Paula Kydoniefs, the president of the board of directors of SSJB, told CNA that the group was established “solely for the purpose of buying this church, taking care of it, and sponsoring events.” The church, historically attended by the local Slovenian/Windish community, had its cornerstone laid in 1914 and fully opened in 1917.

Kydoniefs explained that the decision to purchase the property originated several years ago, during a period when the diocese was in the process of merging local parishes.

“In 2008 they were consolidating, and this was one of five churches that was being closed as a parish,” she said. “St. Joseph’s parishioners fought that and appealed it and ended up taking it to the Vatican.”

The Vatican eventually ordered that the parish remain open for use, Kydoniefs said. In 2011 then-Bishop John Barres “gave the parish the ability to have an annual Mass and have funerals of former parishioners.”

The cornerstone at St. Joseph's Parish in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Credit: Dimitri Kydoniefs
The cornerstone at St. Joseph's Parish in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Credit: Dimitri Kydoniefs

The church was used “only occasionally” in this capacity, Tavarez told CNA. In 2023 the diocese moved again to sell the church.

“We went back to the diocese,” Kydoniefs said. “It’s a minor miracle. It was last-minute.”

“They had already announced they were going to sell it. They could have just told us no,” she said. “But, credit to them, they said: ‘If you can come up with $175,000 quickly, you can purchase it.’”

Kydoniefs said “several minor miracles and maybe major miracles” followed, with a benefactor — the James Stocklas Family Trust — quickly coming forward to donate “the whole $175,000.”

“Financially we’re independent, and we’re totally responsible for the care and upkeep and maintenance of the church,” Kyondiefs said.

“According to canon law, it’s a chapel,” she said. “It’s still a Catholic church, it’s still affiliated with the diocese in that way. The diocese has the jurisdiction over what public worship services we can do there.” 

“They’ve told us that we must have two Masses a year, one on the feast day of St. Joseph [March 19] and one on Oct. 28, the anniversary of the consecration of the church,” she added. 

Presently the church is not suited for occupancy, Kydoniefs said, with inspectors finding several code deficiencies in need of updating. Regulators did work with the community to develop a stopgap mitigation plan that allowed the church to celebrate St. Joseph’s feast day on March 19. 

The church “does need a lot of work,” she admitted, but she said the SSJB is prepared to see the building restored and utilized for regular community and religious events “at least monthly.” 

“We’ve got a lot of ideas,” she said. “We really want to see this church being used again.” 

In a letter issued upon the church’s reopening, meanwhile, the SSJB wrote that “as heartbreaking as it was a year ago, to hear that our cherished St. Joseph’s Church was to be permanently closed and sold on the open market, we now experience the opposite — hearts filled with joy and thanksgiving!”

“To the St. Joseph’s Church community,” the letter said, “welcome home!”

Synodal standoff: German bishops and Vatican commit to resolution roadmap

View of the Vatican from the Tiber / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, Mar 23, 2024 / 05:30 am (CNA).

The Vatican and the German bishops have announced they will work together to resolve the controversial German Synodal Way. 

How to obtain a plenary indulgence during Holy Week 2024

Holy Week / Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Mar 23, 2024 / 05:00 am (CNA).

A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove the temporal punishment due to sin.

The indulgence applies to sins already forgiven. A plenary indulgence cleanses the soul as if the person had just been baptized.

A plenary indulgence can be obtained during Holy Week for oneself or for a deceased person if one of the following works established by the Church is performed.

Holy Thursday — March 28, 2024

1. If during the solemn reservation of the Blessed Sacrament (typically on a side altar), which follows the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, you recite or sing the Eucharistic hymn “Tantum Ergo.”

2. If you adore the solemnly reserved Blessed Sacrament for a half hour.

Good Friday — March 29, 2024

1. If you venerate the cross in the solemn celebration of the Lord’s Passion.

2. If you piously participate in the Stations of the Cross.

Holy Saturday — March 30, 2024

1. If two or more people pray the holy rosary.

2. If you attend the celebration of the Easter Vigil at night and renew your baptismal promises, which is part of the liturgy of that Mass.

Conditions in all cases

In order to obtain the plenary indulgence, in addition to performing the specific works mentioned above, the following conditions must be fulfilled:

1. Detachment from all sin, even venial.

 2. Sacramental confession, holy Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the pope. These three conditions can be fulfilled a few days before or after performing the works to gain the indulgence, but it is appropriate that Communion and the prayer take place on the same day that the work is completed.

A single sacramental confession is sufficient for several plenary indulgences, but frequent sacramental confession is encouraged in order to obtain the grace of deeper conversion and purity of heart.

For each plenary indulgence that is sought, however, a separate holy Communion and a separate prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father are required.

The prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father is left up to the choice of the individual, but an Our Father and Hail Mary are suggested.

This story was originally published on CNA on April 11, 2022, and was updated March 20, 2024.

U.S. Bishops’ President and Chairman of International Justice and Peace Issue Holy Week Call to Prayer for an End to the Israel-Hamas War

WASHINGTON – Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the U.S. Conference of Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace call on the faithful to renew their prayers during Holy Week for an end to the Israel-Hamas war.

“As the Church enters Holy Week and Christ’s suffering on the cross and his resurrection are made present to us so vividly, we are connected to the very source of hope. It is that hope that spurs us to call on Catholics here in the United States and all those of good will to renew their prayers for an end to the raging Israel-Hamas war.

“Thousands of innocent people have died in this conflict, and thousands more have been displaced and face tremendous suffering. This must stop. As the Holy Father recently said, ‘One cannot move forward in war. We must make every effort to negotiate, to negotiate, to end the war.’ To move forward, a cease fire and a permanent cessation of war and violence is absolutely necessary. To move forward, those held hostage must be released and civilians must be protected. To move forward, humanitarian aid must reach those who are in such dire need.  

“As Christians, we are rooted in the hope of the resurrection, and so we pray for a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land.”  

###

Nevada judge rules state must include abortion in its Medicaid program

A participant in a Women's March event Jan. 18, 2020, in San Francisco holds a "Pass the Equal Rights Amendment" sign while marching. / Credit: Sundry Photography/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 22, 2024 / 18:30 pm (CNA).

Nevada Judge Erika Ballou ruled this week that the state must include abortion in its Medicaid program.

This ruling effectively mandates Nevada taxpayers fund abortion. It is unclear whether the state will appeal the decision.

Ballou did not give any explanation for her Tuesday ruling, only issuing a one-page order that granted a local pro-abortion group’s request to strike down the Medicaid restrictions.  

The pro-abortion group, called “Silver State Hope Fund,” which provides grants for women seeking abortions, applauded the ruling, calling it a “historic day for Nevada.”

Represented by ACLU Nevada, Silver State Hope Fund filed a suit against the state’s Health and Human Services Department in August 2023. The suit argued that the state was violating the ERA through its so-called Medicaid “coverage ban” on abortion. ACLU Nevada argued that not including abortion in Medicaid “disadvantages women because of their sex, including their reproductive capabilities.”

According to reporting by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, attorneys for the state of Nevada argued that the state has “a legitimate interest in efficiently utilizing Medicaid funds — both federal and state — to maximize the services provided to Medicaid recipients” and that “if Medicaid were to cover elective abortions, it would have to divert state money from covering other services because it cannot use federal matching dollars to pay for elective abortions.”

All funding for abortion would have to come out of the state’s budget because of the Hyde Amendment’s prohibition of federal tax dollars from being used for abortion.

Archbishop George Thomas of Las Vegas told CNA that he is “dismayed” by the decision and the impact it could have on the state. 

“The Catholic Church has long advocated for access to affordable health care, including Medicaid expansion. However, by ruling Medicaid in Nevada must cover all abortions, our precious unborn in the womb — the most vulnerable — are now at a higher risk of being aborted,” he said. “I certainly hope this ruling will be appealed and overturned.”

ACLU attorney Rebecca Chan, meanwhile, celebrated the ruling, saying in a statement: “We are relieved that the court correctly recognized the severe harms of Nevada’s ban on Medicaid coverage for abortion, which directly violates the recently passed state Equal Rights Amendment.” 

“Every person, regardless of their income level or insurance source, deserves the power to make personal medical decisions during pregnancy, including abortion,” she said. 

The Nevada ERA, passed in a referendum vote in 2022, added a section to the Nevada Constitution that said: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by this State or any of its political subdivisions on account of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, age, disability, ancestry, or national origin.”

There is an ongoing national push to add a similar version of the ERA to the U.S. Constitution, something the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has firmly opposed. The bishops have voiced concerns that the language could be used to claim a constitutional right to an abortion or could be used to infringe on religious liberty. 

In 2023 Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge, chair of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement speaking out against this version of the ERA. 

“The Catholic faith teaches that women and men are created with equal dignity, and we support that being reflected in law. The proposed ‘Equal Rights Amendment,’ however, would likely create a sweeping new nationwide right to abortion at any stage, at taxpayer expense, and eliminate even modest protections for women’s health and the lives of preborn children,” he said.

Burbidge added that the measure “could also pose grave problems for women’s privacy and athletic and other opportunities, and negatively impact religious freedom.”

Princess Kate reveals cancer diagnosis; Catholic prelate praises her courage, encourages prayers

Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales, (Kate Middleton) arrives to attend the “Together At Christmas” carol service at Westminster Abbey in London on Dec. 8, 2023. / Credit: Chris Jackson/POOL/AFP

ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 22, 2024 / 18:00 pm (CNA).

The Princess of Wales, Catherine “Kate” Middleton, surprised the world by publicly announcing she is fighting cancer and is in the early stages of treatment.

House Republicans include slew of pro-life bills in 2025 budget proposal

null / Credit: lazyllama/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 22, 2024 / 16:27 pm (CNA).

The Republican Study Committee (RSC), of which over 80% of House Republicans are members, dedicated a section of its “Fiscal Sanity to Save America” 2025 federal budget proposal to “measures designed to advance the cause of life.”

Released on Wednesday, the proposal, titled “Fiscal Sanity to Save America,” does not have any immediate legislative impact but does set the stage for House Republicans’ goals in the coming year.

Signed by RSC chair Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Oklahoma, and 12 other RSC members representing the committee’s 179 total members, the budget specifically “applauds” 38 different pro-life bills championed by Republican members of Congress.

Most notably the proposal applauds a wide range of bills House Republicans have advanced to limit abortion, including the Life at Conception Act, Heartbeat Protection Act (establishing a six-week limit with rape, incest, and physical health exceptions), and the Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act that establishes a 15-week limit with similar exceptions.

Other pro-life measures highlighted by the RSC include bills permanently banning tax-dollar funding for abortion, prohibiting the military from paying for abortions, and banning the distribution of abortion drugs without a doctor’s examination.

The RSC’s proposal has received a warm welcome from several pro-life groups, with Students for Life Action calling it “the most pro-life congressional budget ever proposed.”

Republicans stand by pro-life policies 

The Biden administration has expressed confidence that abortion will be a winning issue for Democrats in 2024. Yet, rather than backing away from the issue, the RSC budget proposal blasts the Biden administration’s pro-abortion policies and points out that “current federal policies fail to uphold the 14th Amendment and protect the right to life for our nation’s most vulnerable.”

“The gift of life is precious and should be protected,” the RSC budget proposal states. “The boundless potential of each life cannot be prejudged,” it continues, going on to affirm that “conservatives believe in creating a culture of life, compassion, and opportunity.”

The RSC proposal pointedly celebrates the overturn of Roe v. Wade as a “historic victory in the effort to defend innocent life and to return to the Constitution as it was written.”

“Since this landmark decision, several states have attempted to implement laws that further protect life within their borders. The RSC budget supports the efforts of these states.” 

Likely priority legislation

Though the RSC proposal applauds the bills of several members limiting abortions, since former president Donald Trump recently signaled support for a 15-week limit, with exceptions for rape, incest, and the physical health of the mother, it is that measure that is currently receiving the most attention.

On March 19, Trump signaled his tacit support for a 15-week measure while speaking on the radio show “Sid & Friends in the Morning.” 

“We’re going to come up with a time — and maybe we could bring the country together on that issue,” he said. “The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15. And I’m thinking in terms of that. And it’ll come out to something that’s very reasonable. But people are really, even hard-liners are agreeing, seems to be, 15 weeks seems to be a number that people are agreeing at. But I’ll make that announcement at the proper time.”

The RSC proposal’s inclusion of the Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act indicates that many Republicans would be willing to support it.

Introduced by Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, the bill would make it a criminal offense, subject to a fine and prison time, for performing or attempting to perform an abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The bill includes exceptions for when the life of the mother is in danger and cases of rape and incest. The bill also specifically states that women obtaining abortions cannot be prosecuted.