Letter to the Faithful: Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone responds to passage of Proposition 1

On Nov. 9, 2022, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone released the following letter to the faithful of the Archdiocese of San Francisco on the passage of Proposition 1.

Dear Faithful of the Archdiocese of San Francisco:

I wanted to take this moment to express my deepest appreciation for all your efforts in raising awareness about the evils of Proposition 1 (Prop 1), which amends the California constitution by allowing the killing of human life in the womb after the stage of viability. It is bad enough at any time, but this amendment will allow abortion even up to the day a healthy mother can give birth to a healthy baby.

Both from the pulpit and in parish bulletins, our priests brought clarity to the reckless language and realities of this extreme abortion measure, and our lay faithful tirelessly volunteered their time, talent and treasure to the No on Prop 1 effort.

Unfortunately, Prop 1 passed on election day even though more than 80 percent of Californians report that they are against late-term abortions.

While the passing of Prop 1 is devastating for women, children and families in California, there are some positive developments. By shining a bright light on the value of motherhood and the inherent dignity of the unborn child, our hard work helped to shift minds and hearts to the pro-life movement. A recent survey by Rasmussen Reports and the Capitol Research Institute found that nearly 10 percent more women identify as pro-life than before the campaign, while at the same time, the number of Californians who identify as pro-choice has dropped by seven percentage points.

While Prop 1 will inevitably be challenged in the courts, we will continue to do our essential work of accompanying mothers in distress through life-saving crisis pregnancy centers and our post-abortion healing ministries. Through these and other meaningful efforts, we beautifully showcase what it means to be pro-life by supporting women before and after their babies are born. We will continue to amplify what authentic “choice” truly means by providing pregnant women with accurate information about what’s going on within their bodies, informing them of all life-giving options and linking them with the resources they need to exercise those options.

Thank you for doing your part in demonstrating to so many people that the response to a woman in a crisis pregnancy is not violence, death and isolation, but support and tender loving care.

As people of faith, we know that peace in the world begins with peace in the womb. This spiritual battle will continue as we look ahead to the day when abortion will be unthinkable in every state in our nation.

Sincerely yours in our Lord,

Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone
Archbishop of San Francisco

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