With the Catholic Church’s “preeminent priority” of abortion on the minds of many voters, Burch noted that each of the Republican candidates are pro-life at some level, particularly when compared with what he called incumbent President Joe Biden’s “extreme abortion advocacy.”
Former President Donald Trump, who polls indicate continues to be the overwhelming favorite to win the Republican presidential nomination, has not clearly stated whether he would support a ban on abortions in the 15th week of pregnancy. His top two rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, however, have said they would sign 15-week bans, but Haley has emphasized that such legislation is unlikely to reach the president’s desk.
Despite the Church’s consistent teaching on abortion, a recent poll conducted by Pew found that about 46% of Catholics believe abortion pills should be legal and only about 26% of Catholic respondents said they should be illegal.
“The Church is very clear: abortion pills, abortion surgeries, or abortions in general are never justified, and so this is a very tragic state and I think all of us have a role to play here,” Burch said. “Our bishops have a role, our priests have a role, and we as laypeople have to help people understand that this involves the taking of an innocent human life. It destroys marriages and it perverts the entire Church teaching on sexuality,” Burch said.
Commenting on the state of the race, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Catholic and Republican representing Iowa’s First Congressional District, told Sabol that the renomination of former President Trump is far from a sure thing.
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