Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago and other clergy from the state of Illinois say that the state's law requiring healthcare professionals who are opposed to abortion to refer to providers and discuss the so-called "benefits" of abortion is a violation of the Church's mission.
Becket, a law firm focusing on religious freedom topics, filed a friend-of-the-court brief on December 16 on behalf of the Catholic bishops of Illinois, the Illinois Catholic Health Association, the Orthodox Church in America, and the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of New Gračanica-Midwestern America.
The brief was for the case National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Treto. The plaintiffs in this case are a group of pro-life pregnancy centers and doctors, who say that their religious speech rights are being violated by the law.
Cupich took to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday to highlight what he called "an aggressive mandate seeking to punish healthcare workers who refuse to aid and abet abortion."
"Catholic pro-life ministries in Illinois are now in the government’s crosshairs," said Cardinal Cupich. "These ministries exist to offer life-affirming care to mothers, children, and families in need, rooted in the belief that every person is made in the image of God."
That is a line faithful Catholics cannot cross.
With the new law requiring providers to refer to abortion services, the state "is now demanding that they speak a message that contradicts this eternal truth and the very purpose of their ministry. That is a line faithful Catholics cannot cross."
Cardinal Cupich asked Catholics in the United States to "continue praying for an end to the scourge of abortion."
Oral arguments in the case are set to be heard in early 2026.
