PORT ST. LUCIE | A unified campaign directed at the ballot box in November is gaining momentum, thanks to efforts by Florida’s Catholic bishops to defeat the Amendment 4 abortion initiative. The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops’ public policy statement calls the amendment “a clear threat to human life and dignity.”
Local parishes are educating fellow Catholics about this dangerous amendment. With guidance from the Diocese of Palm Beach and Catholic Charities’ Respect Life Ministry, the faithful are making it a priority to be active in their communities.
St. Lucie Parish in Port St. Lucie preempted its regular Respect Life monthly meeting July 16 to host a public forum on Amendment 4. The gathering drew attendees from 11 area Catholic parishes and three Protestant churches. Catholic Charities has been hard at work on this and many issues that threaten vulnerable members of society.
“When the Vote No on 4 campaign added the fact that parental consent would be stricken, Facebook views reached 7,000,” said Deanna Herbst-Hoosac, Respect Life program administrator, who emphasized clear and consistent messaging throughout the statewide push. “Ohio was fractured because the wording confused pro-life voters,” she said, adding, “They thought they were voting against abortion.”
The guest speaker at St. Lucie Parish was state Sen. Erin Grall, recipient of the 2021 Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Defensor Vitae/Defender of Life Award during Catholic Days at the Capitol. She has filed pro-life legislation every year since holding office. Her more recent efforts resulted in the six-week Heartbeat Protection Act. Advising the audience to approach the topic of Amendment 4 with grace, Grall said conversation stirs deep convictions.
“Unlike other ballot measures we vote on, Amendment 4 fails to define key terms like ‘viability,’ ‘healthcare provider’ and ‘patient’s health’ — creating loopholes that would allow abortion clinic employees who are not doctors to determine fetal viability and whether a health concern is serious enough to allow an exception for a late-term abortion, up to and including the last month of pregnancy,” Grall said.
“Just as bad, Amendment 4 tells voters that it preserves parental notification while hiding the fact that it eliminates Florida’s parental consent law, making abortion the only medical procedure that can be performed on a minor without a parent’s permission,” she added.
The weekend prior to the event, Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito’s video message was viewed at every St. Lucie Parish Mass, while in the rotunda outside Respect Life volunteers staffed tables with anatomical models of human development from a four-week embryo to a seventh-month preborn baby.
Additional informational events on Amendment 4 are set for 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, at St. Vincent Ferrer in Delray Beach, with speakers Sara Johnson, Dr. Anthony Dardano, Father Timothy Cusick and Mary Rodriguez; and 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at St. Helen in Vero Beach, with Kimberly Bird of Live Action and Sen. Grall speaking. There will be more presentations to come.
To learn more about the amendment, visit www.diocesepb.org/abortion-amendment.html or www.flaccb.org/abortion-amendment.
