Missouri bishops say Church will continue advocacy for policies upholding human dignity
A constitutional amendment that would have limited abortions in the state was rejected by Missouri voters on Nov. 3.
Amendment 3 failed to pass, with 55.5% of votes opposed and 44.5% of votes in favor of the measure. It would have limited most abortions except for cases of rape and incest (up to 12 weeks of gestation), emergencies and fetal anomalies. It also would have repealed a 2024 voter-approved amendment, which allows for abortions through fetal viability and has a broad exception for the “life and physical or mental health of the pregnant person.”
The Missouri Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state’s bishops, said that while the result was disappointing, the Church remains committed to advocating for pro-life policies and walking with mothers and fathers facing unexpected and difficult pregnancies.
“The Catholic Church in Missouri will continue to advocate for policies that uphold the dignity of every person, protect the most vulnerable among us and provide compassionate support to those in need, as she has always done,” the statement said. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to accompany mothers and fathers facing hardship in their pregnancies and to offer hope and healing to those who have been wounded by the scourge of abortion. To the Catholic faithful, clergy, and all people of good will who worked tirelessly during this campaign, we offer our heartfelt gratitude.”
The push to pass Amendment 3 followed a Jackson County Circuit Court ruling in June, when Judge Jerri Zhang issued a permanent injunction striking down several state abortion laws that were challenged under the 2024 constitutional amendment. Among those provisions were special licensing requirements for abortion providers, an admitting privileges requirement and the state’s requirement that a physician be physically present when a patient takes abortion medication.
Both medication and surgical abortions have resumed in Missouri since the ruling. However, Zhang left in place a requirement that patients meet with a doctor in person before being prescribed abortion medication and that only licensed physicians can prescribe or perform abortions. Missouri’s ban on in-state providers prescribing abortion medication via telehealth also remains in place, meaning those who wish to access abortion pills without an in-person visit must seek an out-of-state provider.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has appealed Zhang’s ruling to the Missouri Supreme Court.
Deacon Sam Lee, a pro-life lobbyist with Campaign Life Missouri, said that the outcome was disappointing, but he added that the loss did not come from a lack of effort by pro-life advocates and the Church. He complimented those who worked on the campaign and said he saw “yes” signs outside many churches across the state.
Deacon Lee, who began lobbying in 1984, said the pro-life movement has been through many ups and downs, including long dry spells and renewed hope after major decisions at the state and national levels.
The outcome will not change efforts to help mothers, he said, including Missouri’s Alternatives to Abortion program, which received $15 million in funding this past year. He said legislation will be reintroduced to expand tax credits for pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes, and support for agencies and organizations that assist pregnant and postpartum women will continue.
On the legislative front, Deacon Lee said lawmakers have shown strong interest in addressing the prevalence of medication abortions, including measures on abortion pill reversal and on placing signage in restrooms at college campuses and health clinics.
“There’s a lot left to do,” Deacon Lee said. “Pro-lifers need to be more creative in how we help women considering abortions or who have had an abortion. A woman who has had one abortion is at greater risk for more. Talk to any pregnancy resource center — they have a lot of women who have had previous abortions, and many of them have had bad experiences with abortions.”
“Along with Archbishop (Mitchell T.) Rozanski, his brother bishops, our diocesan colleagues and pro-life ministry partners across Missouri, and all the faithful, we are deeply saddened and disappointed that Amendment 3 did not pass,” archdiocesan Respect Life Apostolate director Mary Varni said in a statement. “It keeps the lives of preborn children, minor children and the health and safety of women at risk. It also keeps men and women in Missouri at risk from the multiplied pain abortion brings.
“Despite that, the results of any election or amendment — even one tied so deeply to the pro-life cause — do not deter us from carrying out the 53-year-old mission of the Respect Life Apostolate: to cherish preborn children, walk with pregnant and parenting moms, help those wounded by abortion to heal and educate the next generation on the Gospel of Life,” Varni said.
