Full Statement
𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗖 𝗕𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗦’ 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗜𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗔 (𝗖𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗖𝗢𝗟) 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗛 𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡.
The attention of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Liberia (CABICOL) has been drawn to a statement issued by the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia, 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝑩𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑳𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒕𝒔
𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒚.
While the Catholic Church shared some important values like justice, peace, reconciliation, human dignity, etc with our Brothers and Sisters of other faiths, we want to categorically state that we are not in agreement with the Inter-Religious Council in endorsing and requesting the passage of the New Public Health Bill of Liberia in its entirety.
Let it be recalled that on the 29th Day of August 2023, we issued a statement in which we called on the National Legislature to reconsider 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗫, 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟰𝟵. 𝗦𝗘𝗫𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗛 of this bill.
In line with the dictate of Divine Mandate (THOU SHALL NOT KILL, EXODUS 20:13), in line with the Teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church which states that 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐬𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝
𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐝 (CCC 2319), we once more unequivocally reject the concept of 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 as contained in the New Health bill.
We call on all our Catholic Health Institutions, and all men and women of goodwill, to respect life, from the moment of conception to its natural end.
May Christ, who came that “all may have life and have it to the full (John 10:10) be our strength.
May Mary, Mother of the church and the Mother of the unborn continue to pray and intercede for us all.
Amen!
Signed:
Most Rev.Anthony Borwah
President of CABICOL/ Bishop of Gbarnga.
Most Rev. Andrew Jagaye Karnley Bishop of Cape palmas.
Most Rev. Archbishop Gabriel Blamo Jubwe
Metropolitan Archbishop of Monrovia.
Done on the 7’h Day of June 2026, on the solemruie of corpus Domini at the National Catholic Secretariat, Old Road, Gaye Town- Monrovia.
