Cardinal Keeler urges approval of Unborn Victims of Violence Act

Published: 2004-02-24

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Baltimore Cardinal William H. Keeler has urged Congress to approve the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2003 and to reject any substitute that would nullify the intent of the measure. The cardinal, who is chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, sent a letter to Congress Feb. 19, urging members to vote for the legislation, which would protect unborn children whose mothers are physically assaulted, beaten, maimed or murdered in violation of specified provisions of the federal criminal code. The bill would enable the federal government to recognize that, when a pregnant woman is assaulted or killed in the commission of federal crimes of violence -- such as a kidnapping across state lines or an attack that takes place on federal property -- and her unborn child is harmed or killed as a result, the crime has two victims -- the woman and her child. Cardinal Keeler noted that legislation explicitly excludes abortion and thus it was "all the more disappointing that some insist the bill should nonetheless be defeated to somehow preserve a 'right' to abortion."

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