Unlike Virginia, and 2 other states, voters in Idaho reject abortion as a right of the state. Real Pro-Life heroes in Idaho

 

Idaho defies trend, rejects abortion protections ballot measure

written by Kate Scanlon 

 November 4, 2026

A child looks from under a booth as a man casts his ballot at a polling station on Election Day in West Columbia, S.C., Nov. 3, 2026. (OSV News photo/Sam Wolfe, Reuters)

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Voters in four states considered ballot measures related to abortion policy Nov. 3, with only one state rejecting a measure to expand access to the procedure, and the others approving proposals to codify a right to an abortion or rejecting further limits. 

Voters in Idaho rejected a ballot measure that would have established abortion as a state right, but voters in Nevada and Virginia approved similar measures.

Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action, said in a Nov. 4 statement that “the results of this election bring serious challenges for the fight for life, but also a tremendous victory in Idaho, where voters rejected an extreme abortion measure and preserved protections for preborn children.”

“Voters in Virginia and Nevada approved sweeping pro-abortion amendments, while Missouri voters rejected an effort to restore protections for preborn children. These are devastating setbacks for innocent children who deserve the protection of the law. We will continue working to defend every child whose life is threatened by abortion,” Rose said.

The results of the ballot measures came in the same election cycle that saw Democrats win control of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives by wide margins. 

Virginia’s ballot measure on abortion ‘dangerous’

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, previously urged Catholics in that state to reject Virginia’s ballot measure, which he described as “dangerous,” as well as another that would amend the Virginia Constitution to remove a ban on same-sex marriage. 

In a Nov. 4 statement, Bishop Burbidge said, “Tragically, a majority of Virginians voted this election season to insert an extreme and limitless legal right to abortion into our Commonwealth’s constitution. A majority also lamentably voted to strip objectively good and true language from our state’s constitution that upheld the truth that marriage is a sacred institution uniting one man and one woman.” 

“Despite this defeat, faithful Catholics may be consoled by the certainty that each one of us gave God our best efforts, and that he will not allow those efforts to be in vain,” he said. “We know the truth, and no temporary political defeat changes this reality. Thus, we do not despair. We resolve to continue speaking the truth with love and, together, we persevere in faith and hope.”

Bans on same-sex marriage in Virginia and other states have effectively been defunct since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015.

Failed Missouri measure aimed to limit abortion, transgender procedures

In Missouri, voters rejected Amendment 3, which would have limited both abortion and certain types of medical or surgical gender reassignment procedures for minors who identify as transgender.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June 2022, resulting in each state determining its abortion laws, voters in most states with ballot measures on abortion in 2022, 2023 and 2024 have supported abortion protections or rejected abortion bans.

More broadly, state ballot measures ask voters to weigh in directly on a policy item, law or regulation, sometimes in lieu of or alongside the legislative process. Rules and procedures for their inclusion on ballots vary by state, as do the topics each state may consider. 

Voters in Arizona and Nebraska approved ballot measures that would implement requirements for student athletes to participate on teams that correspond to their biological sex. The outcome of similar ballot measures in Colorado and Washington were still too close to call as of 1:30 p.m. (EST) on Nov. 4. Another Colorado measure that would prohibit certain types of medical or surgical gender reassignment procedures for minors who identify as transgender was also too early to call. 

Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.

Papal Mass offered for all the Cardinals and Bishops who have died this past year

 

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• Pope Leo XIV
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Pope Leo: In Christ, life has been redeemed

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in memory of the Cardinals and Bishops who died over the past year and invites the faithful to reflect on the mystery of death “without fear,” because praying for the deceased “is to celebrate life.”

By Isabella Piro

“Remember me at the altar of the Lord, wherever you may be.” These words, spoken by Saint Monica in her final farewell to her sons Augustine and Navigius, provide the central theme of the homily delivered by Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, November 5.

Presiding at Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican for the repose of the souls of Cardinals and Bishops who have died over the past year—seven Cardinals and 136 bishops, who passed away between October 2025 and the end of last month—the Pope reflected on the spiritual value of remembrance, emphasizing that praying for the dead is one of the Church’s “fundamental duties.”

Hope in the Resurrection

From this starting point, the Pope invites the faithful to reflect on “two truths” underlying prayers for the deceased. The first is “hope in the resurrection”:

" For our remembrance of our departed brothers and sisters at the altar of the Lord is founded on the promise that our life, in Christ, is not lost, because it has been redeemed. (…) For, as Scripture emphasizes, if there were no resurrection, it would be futile to pray for the dead," he said.

Read the full homily of Pope Leo XIV

Celebration of life

“To pray for the repose of the dead is to celebrate life,” the Pope emphasized, with steadfast trust and by virtue of the great hope bestowed upon the world by the Risen Christ.

"Let us not, therefore, allow the remembrance of the dead to become mere nostalgia. In faith, let us contemplate the mystery of death without fear, because the Lord is alive, awaits us and has already prepared a place for us in His Father’s house."

Communion of Saints

Pope Leo XIV then highlighted “the communion of saints.” When we pray for the deceased, he explained, we pray both for them "but also with them, drawn into a reciprocity” made alive by the Holy Spirit, with the certainty that the communion we experienced with one another on earth, despite its limitations and failings, does not come to an end when entrusted into God's hands.

"In Christ, death does not dissolve our bonds," he said. "Rather, it transfigures them into a new dimension, which can be understood only in the mystery of his love, given to the very end on the cross and poured out after his paschal victory."

The Pope concluded by encouraging the faithful to preserve and nurture this communion always, as they journey toward the radiant face of God.

Pope Leo XIV during the Mass (VATICAN MEDIA)

Loving embrace of the merciful Father

Several Bishops and Cardinals attended the celebration, including Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, respectively Dean and Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals, who were at the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer.

During the Liturgy of the Word, the first reading, in French, was taken from the Second Book of Maccabees (12:43–46). The Psalm, sung in Italian, was Psalm 142: “Lord, hear my prayer.” The second reading, in English, was a passage from the First Letter of Saint John (3:14–16). The Gospel reading, proclaimed in Italian by the deacon, was also from John: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (12:23–28).

The Prayer of the Faithful was offered in Italian. Among the intentions, special prayers were raised for those entrusted with civil and social responsibilities, that they might pursue “projects of justice and peace for the good of the entire human family,” and for all the deceased, that they may be welcomed into the “paternal embrace” of the merciful Father.

On the eve of Pope Leo's return to South America, a hope-filled look forward.

 

Editorial

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• Pope Leo XIV
• apostolic journey
• Peru
• Argentina
• Uruguay
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Pope Leo returns to continent full of contradictions but rich in hope

Our Editorial Director reflects on the upcoming 12-day Apostolic Journey to Latin American of Pope Leo XIV, who served for many years as a missionary in Peru.

By Andrea Tornielli

Pope Leo is returning home. He is returning to the continent where he spent more than twenty years of his life, first as a missionary and later as a bishop.

Peru, the final and longest leg of the Apostolic Journey that begins in the coming hours and will take him first to Uruguay and Argentina, is not the birthplace of Robert Francis Prevost, the first Pope born in the United States.

Yet it can be considered his second home, a homeland of the heart. This was clear from the very first words Pope Leo XIV spoke just minutes after his election.

Appearing on the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, he greeted the crowds gathered in the square and the faithful following the event around the world, first in Italian – as befits the Bishop of Rome – and then in Spanish, offering a special greeting “to my dear Diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru, where a faithful people accompanied their bishop, shared their faith with him, and gave so much, so much, to continue being the faithful Church of Jesus Christ.”

In this sense, the stop in Peru represents a homecoming, an opportunity to remember a bond that has never been broken between a missionary bishop, one who has “the smell of the sheep,” and his people.

To what extent the Pope wanted to make this journey was also evident during his recent hospital stay at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. It will therefore be an immersion in memories, a homecoming that will bring renewed strength, despite the demands of a twelve-day trip involving thirteen flights and two helicopter journeys.

It would nevertheless be reductive to explain or interpret the journey solely in these terms. This is not a “patriotic” pilgrimage.

First of all, because Pope Leo will visit two other countries, each facing problems and circumstances that are both similar and different. Secondly, because the idea of a homecoming must not overshadow the messages the Pope is bringing to these lands.

Above all, he comes to strengthen the Christian people in their faith and to renew the Church’s evangelizing mission, a mission rooted in closeness, tenderness, sharing, support for the poorest, and a commitment to building a more just society together.

This is the same approach he demonstrated as a bishop, including during the Covid pandemic. At the time, as Apostolic Administrator of Callao, he organized a network of solidarity to distribute food, water, and medicine to residents and informal workers who, because of the restrictions, were confined to their homes without money or food. People still remember that assistance as an “answer from God” to their prayers.

In Uruguay, Pope Leo will encounter one of Latin America’s most “European” countries, with a long history of stability and democracy, but also a tradition of secularism that has not always been open to the positive public role of religions. A law on euthanasia was introduced there a year ago.

In Argentina, the birthplace of Pope Francis, who never returned to the country after his election in 2013, Leo will find a deeply polarized society facing major social challenges.

These are among the characteristics of a continent where poverty persists, and the gap between a small number of wealthy people and the many who are poor remains considerable.

Pope Leo XIV will speak about justice in the light of the Church’s social doctrine, not to set himself against one government or another – the Successor of Peter does not act as a politician – but to call for unity in the face of polarization and to encourage the building of a more just and inclusive society.

Such a society must take into account the needs of the most vulnerable and those living in the most remote peripheries, including the peoples of the Amazon, who feel abandoned but will receive a visit from the Pope during his stop in Pucallpa.

The central message Pope Leo is bringing to Latin America is well summed up in the three mottos chosen for the three stops: “I proclaim to you a great joy” for Uruguay; “Everyone is welcome. Go and proclaim” for Argentina; and “Let us open our hearts” for Peru.

These words are a call to faith and to the Church’s evangelizing mission, aimed at fostering unity and encounter.

In the coming days, particular emphasis will be placed on highlighting the hidden treasures of these countries: the many saints and blessed who have inculturated Christ’s message in different contexts, and popular piety, which plays a fundamental role in the faith experience of Latin American peoples.

Saints for Thursday: The parents of St. John the Baptist

 Feast day: November 5

Saints Zechariah & Elizabeth

— · 1st century BC

Patron of Married couples, the childless

The elderly priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, cousin of Mary, who in their old age became the parents of John the Baptist after an angel's promise and Zechariah's spell of silence.

Zechariah and Elizabeth are the parents of St. John the Baptist, and their story opens the Gospel of Luke. Zechariah was a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem, and Elizabeth, a kinswoman of the Virgin Mary, was descended from the priestly line of Aaron. The Gospel describes them both as 'righteous before God,' faithfully keeping all the commandments.

Their one sorrow was that they had no child, and they had grown old. Then, as Zechariah served his turn offering incense in the Temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and announced that Elizabeth would bear a son who would go before the Lord 'in the spirit and power of Elijah.' Zechariah, doubting because of their age, was struck dumb until the promise should be fulfilled.

Elizabeth conceived, and when Mary — herself newly told that she would bear the Messiah — came to visit her, the unborn John 'leapt for joy' in his mother's womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, greeted Mary as 'the mother of my Lord' — words the Church still prays in the Hail Mary. At the child's birth and naming, Zechariah's speech returned, and he broke into the great canticle of praise, the 'Benedictus,' sung by the Church every morning.

Honored together as a holy and faithful couple whose patient hope was at last rewarded, Zechariah and Elizabeth are patrons of married couples and of those who long, against hope, for a child.

Told he would have a son in old age, Zechariah doubted and was struck mute — and sang for joy only when, at the baby's naming, he wrote 'His name is John.'

Image: Jusepe de Ribera (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.

Source: newadvent.org/cathen/08486b.htm

A tidbit from last night's election result: Virginia voters approve measure to establish a constitutional right to abortion. May God forgive us.

 

Virginia adopts abortion rights referendum

A referendum to establish a constitutional right to abortion in the Virginia Constitution was adopted.

Voters walk to a polling station in Arlington, Virginia, on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2026. | Credit: Finn Gomez/Getty Images

November 3, 2026

By Tyler Arnold

Voters in Virginia adopted a referendum to enshrine a right to abortion in their state constitution, while voters in Missouri, Nevada, and Idaho await the final results for referendums that would change abortion policies.

With more than 87% of the vote counted in Virginia as of 11 p.m. ET, 61.5% of people voted for the referendum and 38.5% voted against it.

The people of Missouri are voting on a pro-life referendum to repeal a state constitutional right to abortion. The outcome is too early to call with more than 85% of the vote counted, but the referendum is currently losing, with 55.5% of people voting against it and 44.5% in favor.

Votes have yet to be counted in Nevada or Idaho, where polls closed later.

Catholic bishops in all four states were heavily involved throughout the races, emphasizing the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of life and asking the faithful to cast pro-life votes on the state referendums.

The state referendums

The referendum in Virginia will establish a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom” in the state constitution, which includes “abortion care.” The amendment extends this right to “every individual,” rather than restricting it to just adults.

Although the amendment allows abortion restrictions in the third trimester, it does not allow any restrictions when necessary to protect “the life or physical or mental health” of the mother at any point in the pregnancy. It does not define what constitutes a threat to one’s “mental health” but rather leaves this up to the discretion of the treating physician, who is often the abortionist.

The referendum in Missouri would repeal the state constitutional right to abortion and it would allow state lawmakers to restrict abortion. If it fails, the constitution will continue to maintain a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom," which includes “abortion care.”

Missouri’s constitution allows lawmakers to restrict abortions after fetal viability, which is when the unborn child can survive outside the womb. However, lawmakers cannot restrict abortion at any point in the pregnancy when necessary to “protect the life or physical or mental health” of the mother. Fetal viability and whether the mother’s health is at risk is determined by the treating physician, who is often the abortionist.

The referendum in Nevada, if it passes, would establish “a fundamental right to abortion” in the state constitution. It would allow lawmakers to impose restrictions after the point of fetal viability, which are determined by the “treating health care practitioner,” which is often the abortionist.

The right would extend through the entire pregnancy when needed to “protect the life or health” of the mother, but “health” is not defined. The right would extend to all individuals, not just adults.

Idaho’s referendum would not amend the state constitution, but it would change state law to establish a right to “reproductive freedom,” which includes “abortion.” It would supersede the current state law, which prohibits abortion except to prevent the death of the mother and, in the first trimester, in reported cases of rape or incest.

The referendum would allow lawmakers to restrict abortion at the point of fetal viability, but this would be determined by the treating physician, who is often the abortionist. It would not allow lawmakers to restrict abortion at any point in the pregnancy when there is a medical emergency. The right would be extended to all individuals, not just adults.

Pope Leo XIV asks for prayers for his upcoming Apostolic Journey to South America

 

Pope Leo XIV at General Audience (VATICAN MEDIA)

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• general audience
• Pope Leo XIV
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Pope Leo XIV invites the faithful to pray for Apostolic Journey to Latin America

During his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Leo asks for prayers for his imminent Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, and recalls two upcoming beatification celebrations as well as the liturgical memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, a saint who he said teaches us how to be led by Christ in our daily lives.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"The day after tomorrow, I will begin my Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. I ask you to accompany me with your prayers, that the Lord may bless this mission in these countries, which are so dear to me."

Pope Leo XIV offered this invitation on Wednesday morning toward the conclusion of his General Audience during his remarks to Italian-speaking pilgrims.

He also expressed his hope that the Journey "may strengthen faith, renew hope, rekindle the fire of charity, and encourage us to continue proclaiming the Gospel with joy."

New Blesseds epitomize friendship with the Lord and sacrifice

In his comments, the Pope also recalled that two beatification celebrations will take place on Saturday.

In Antigua, Guatemala, Servant of God Augusto Rafael Ramírez Monasterio, a priest of the Order of Friars Minor who was killed in hatred of the faith in 1983, will be beatified.

Meanwhile, in Santander, Spain, Servants of God Francesco González de Córdova, a diocesan priest; and 79 companions, including priests, seminarians and laypeople, will be beatified.

"During the Spanish persecution of the last century," the Pope underlined, "they did not hesitate to shed their blood out of love for Christ."

"These new Blesseds," the Holy Father underscored, "make visible yet another part of the ‘great multitude’ of the Lord's friends."

Saint Charles Borromeo teaches us to be led by Christ in daily life

Finally, the Pope greeted young people, the sick, and newlyweds.

"Today," the Pope recalled, "we celebrate the liturgical memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, the distinguished Bishop of the Diocese of Milan, who, animated by an ardent love for the Lord, was a teacher and guide to his brothers and sisters."

"Following his example," Pope Leo said, "allow yourselves to be led by Christ in your daily lives."

Pope Leo & the Wednesday General Audience 11.04.2026

 

Pope Leo XIV during the General Audience (VATICAN MEDIA)

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• general audience
• Pope Leo XIV
• Second Vatican Council

Pope at Audience: Politics that tends wounds and fights injustice gives hope

During the Wednesday General Audience, Pope Leo XIV focuses on how Christians can engage in economic and political life in order to build peace, as he continues his reflection on the 1965 Pastoral Constitution 'Gaudium et Spes.'

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

Engaging in economic and political life in accordance to Christian faith and the Social Doctrine of the Church can be a way to build peace, Pope Leo XIV said during the Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square on November 4, 2026.

“Politics that tends to the wounds of peoples and of those who suffer injustice offers grounds for hope for the future of humanity,” the Pope highlighted.

“As Pope Francis recalled, ‘war is a failure of politics and of humanity, a shameful capitulation, a stinging defeat before the forces of evil.’”

Pope Leo continued the catechesis cycle on the Documents of the Second Vatican Council and meditated on the 1965 Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes (meaning “joy and hope”) on the Church in the modern world.

Reflecting on Chapters III and IV of Part II of the Document, which focus on economic and social life and the political community, Pope Leo offered various “criteria for discernment” that can help Christians be engaged in these fields in a way that manifests the Catholic faith.

He also encouraged young people to follow the example of men and women “who have borne faithful witness in these fields” and urged Christian communities to form people in the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Pope Leo XIV during the General Audience (VATICAN MEDIA)

Commitment to eliminating discrimination

Looking at economic life, the Pope highlighted how the Council Fathers noted that the threat to world peace comes from imbalances linked to an economic development that is not equitable or respectful of creation, and this is even more the case today.

Gaudium et Spes warned that “technical progress alone is not enough,” and instead proposed the “Christian vision of economic development,” meaning to always “be at the service of humankind and under human control.”

“More relevant than ever are the appeals to commit to eliminating discrimination against the most vulnerable social groups and migrants,” the Pope continued, underlining the importance of this text.

Working conditions that endanger health and life are unacceptable

Pope Leo also reflected on work, which is at the heart of the economy and helps people participate in social life.

“Work must never be distorted to the detriment of people, the common good or creation,” he stressed.

“The real challenge," he said, "is to offer everyone opportunities to make the most of their abilities: unemployment, exploitation and working conditions that endanger health and life itself are unacceptable.”

The Pope also underscored how workers have the right and duty to participate and discuss decisions concerning them, including through trade unions.

Pope Leo blesses a baby during the General Audience (VATICAN MEDIA)

The universal destination of earthly goods

The Pope then recalled how the Council applies one of the fundamental principles of social teaching, the universal destination of earthly goods, to the financial sphere.

Gaudium et Spes explains that whoever makes decisions concerning investments or planning the economy, needs to ensure that individuals and communities can live a decent life and also that there is a balance between present-day consumption needs and the demands of the next generations.

Political community exists for common good

Turning instead to the political community, the Pope noted how Gaudium et Spes points to “several positive developments in the contemporary era,” such as a deeper understanding of the importance of human dignity, which has led to trying to create a “a politico-juridical order” that gives priority to protecting human rights.

“The political community exists for the sake of the common good,” the Pope insisted. It must be “structured and operate according to local and historical circumstances, but always with the good of the entire human family at heart.”

The Church and the political community can work together

In this regard, he underlined how the Church and political community are “autonomous and independent from each other,” but they “both, under different titles, are devoted to the personal and social vocation of the same men.”

“The more that both foster sounder cooperation between themselves with due consideration for the circumstances of time and place, the more effective will their service be exercised for the good of all,” the Pope urged.