Illinois Catholic bishops back pregnancy centers’ suit over law requiring abortion referrals

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Catholic bishops in Illinois offered their support to a lawsuit from pro-life pregnancy centers that say a Prairie State law requiring those centers to refer women for abortions violates their First Amendment rights.

Becket, a Washington-based religious liberty law firm, filed an amicus brief, sometimes called a friend-of-the-court brief, Dec. 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 Gracanica-Midwestern America in support of a lawsuit from a group of pro-life pregnancy centers and doctors challenging the state’s Health Care Right of Conscience Act.

The Catholic bishops joined the effort, the brief said, in part to “ensure that no Catholic healthcare provider in Illinois will be forced to speak against the Church’s true teachings on abortion.”

The Catholic Church teaches that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death, and as such, opposes direct abortion.

In April, a federal judge issued a split ruling, striking down a provision of the law that required pro-life physicians and pregnancy centers to share the “benefits of abortion” after an ultrasound as unconstitutional, but leaving in place another provision requiring pregnancy centers to refer pregnant women for an abortion upon request. In May, pregnancy centers in the state continued their challenge of the law and the referral provision.

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago, Bishop Ronald A. Hicks of Joliet, and Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, were among those who issued statements about the effort.

“As Christmas draws near, we remember that God chose to enter our world as a vulnerable child,” Cardinal Cupich said. “This profound mystery reveals that every life deserves protection and care, no matter how fragile or dependent. The Church in Illinois is standing up for that eternal truth against Illinois’ effort to deny it.”

“Catholics must be free to live according to the 2,000-year-old teachings of our faith without government intrusion,” Bishop Paprocki said. “Illinois’ mandate threatens that freedom by forcing Catholic ministries and healthcare professionals to promote a practice we believe is gravely wrong. We pray the court will put a swift stop to it.”

Bishop Hicks said, “We trust the court to uphold our freedom to live and serve according to our faith.”

The other Illinois bishops are Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford and Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria. The Diocese of Belleville is currently without a bishop, and Benedictine Father Godfrey Mullen serves as diocesan administrator.

Eric Rassbach, senior counsel at Becket and lead attorney for the Catholic and Orthodox churches, added in his own statement, “Forcing people of faith to be mouthpieces for the state’s approved messaging on abortion is nothing short of Orwellian.”

“Illinois has no right to strong-arm pro-life doctors and ministries into promoting something they believe is morally abhorrent,” he said. “We’re confident the court will put an end to this mandate.”

Oral argument in the case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit is expected in early 2026.

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