Detroit Archbishop: Catholics must fast, give alms and do penance after Proposal 3 passage
Niraj Warikoo
Catholic leaders in Michigan are calling upon the faithful to fast, pray, give alms and do penance starting later this month following the passage of Proposal 3, the statewide ballot proposal that will enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.
"We awake today to the news that Proposal 3 has passed, altering our state constitution to allow for unregulated and unsafe abortion on-demand in Michigan," Archbishop of Detroit Allen Vigneron said Wednesday in an email to local Catholics. "We are deeply saddened by this grave assault on the dignity and sanctity of unborn, innocent human life. We grieve for the many women who will continue to be harmed by abortion in our state. ... We grieve for the lives who will be lost because of this unjust and perverse law."
Vigneron called upon Catholics "to make reparations for the great sin of abortion in our midst."
Bishop Earl Boyea of the Lansing Diocese said in a text message: "We can rightly permit ourselves to shed a tear this morning but not lose hope."
With more than 99% of the vote counted, results show 56.7% of voters approved Proposal 3, while 43.3% opposed it.
The despondent mood among some Catholics was a marked change from June when they celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
In recent months, Catholics leaders in Michigan led a range of efforts to defeat Proposal 3, from text messages to services and prayers to door-to-door canvassing. Catholics are the largest religious group in Michigan, but many don't necessarily follow Catholic teachings and support abortion rights. Other Christian denominations and faith groups in Michigan such as Baptists, evangelicals and some Muslims also led efforts to oppose it. On Oct. 30, Protestant churches rallied against the proposal at Bloomfield Hills Baptist Church in Bloomfield Township. There were also some liberal faith leaders who came out in support of the proposal. Jewish leaders were largely supportive of it, holding a rally in June at the biggest synagogue in Michigan in support of abortion rights.
Some faith leaders framed it as a battle for the soul of the state.
More:Catholics in Michigan 'fight like heaven' against abortion ballot proposal
"Abortion is now legal in Michigan at an unprecedented level, and millions of lives are at stake," Vigneron said. "We must pray and ask God for his mercy upon us for allowing this evil to happen in our state. For this reason, I want to invite all the faithful to join me in the first two weeks of Advent, from November 27 to December 9, in doing penance, giving alms, praying, and fasting. We must use these spiritual practices to make reparations for the great sin of abortion in our midst."
Monica Migliorino Miller, a longtime anti-abortion activist in metro Detroit who is director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, said adding to her concerns is that Democrats now are in control of the state House, state Senate and governor's office for the first time in about 40 years.
"Pro-lifers may have been consoled that the Michigan state legislature would achieve a Republican majority, however slim, to blunt the attempts to broaden the killing of the unborn in our state," Miller said in a statement. "Sadly, however, those who champion the legalized killing of the innocent unborn are in power with a Democratic majority and with the re-election of Governor Whitmer."
Miller said one of the reasons her side failed is because it was outspent. More than $42 million was spent overall on both sides as of Oct. 23, with more expected to be spent afterward. Abortion-rights advocates appeared to spend more money, campaign finance records show.
"The advocates of legal abortion certainly outspent the pro-life movement in Michigan — with the majority of their money coming in from out of state to fund the barrage — the seemingly never-ending television ads, YouTube ads and ads on social media," Miller said.
Anti-abortion advocates worry that Michigan will become a magnet for women seeking abortions. Miller said she fears that "new abortion clinics will be set up all long our Ohio, Indiana border."
The passage of Proposal 3 also disappointed some in the Muslim community in Michigan. There are a range of views on abortion among Muslims, as with other religious groups.
Hassan Aoun, of Dearborn, said he was upset with Islamic clerics in metro Detroit for not speaking out against Proposal 3 and for some of them posing for photos with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at the annual Arab American Political Action Committee banquet in Dearborn several days before the election. Aoun has been among protest leaders in recent weeks opposing some books in Dearborn Public Schools they believe are too explicit for children.
Arabic-language flyers circulated online in recent weeks targeting Arab American voters with information that Democrats said was inaccurate and inflammatory. Proposal 3 was approved by voters in Dearborn 59.3% to 40.7%, which was a wider margin than statewide, where 56.7% of voters approved it.
"It's very sad," Aoun said Wednesday. "I reached out to religious leaders, but did not get a response. ... Not one religious leader came out and said, 'Hey man, we shouldn't vote for this.'"
The Michigan Muslim Community Council released a statement in August saying abortion is generally forbidden in Islam, but allowed in certain cases.
Aoun and other conservatives tried to link Proposal 3 to the issue of gender identity, saying it would lead to gender reassignment surgery in children without parental approval, though others said that was misleading. The amendment contains no explicit reference to gender-affirming care or parental consent.
More:Faith and politics intermingle on the campaign trail in Michigan
Moving forward, Vigneron said Catholic leaders will continue their efforts to help women who are pregnant with resources to help them have children.
He said the Archdiocese of Detroit will continue working with Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan, its charitable arm; the archdiocese’s Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship Department,; Project Rachel; and Walking with Moms in Need, a ministry that helps provide assistance to pregnant and parenting moms.
Pregnancy centers supported by Catholics and others have drawn criticism from liberals. In September, Whitmer vetoed some budget items that included $1.5 million for pregnancy resource centers supported by conservatives who promote alternatives to abortion.
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