The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released a nationwide statement on August 18 calling for American Catholics to pray and act against the rising use of the abortion pill. Coinciding with Respect Life Month, the initiative spans through the end of October.
In its official statement, the USCCB identifies “easier access to abortion pills” as coinciding with a climbing national abortion rate and “increased health risks” for women, naming the Food and Drug Administration specifically as an enabler.
“[The FDA] has enabled a nationwide mail-order abortion industry by allowing abortion pills to be prescribed in telehealth appointments and sold both at neighborhood pharmacies and online, circumventing state laws that protect life in the womb,” the statement read.
The USCCB continues, “This leaves women vulnerable to suffering an abortion alone at home, without any medical supervision. It also sets up additional opportunities for exploitation by violent partners or human traffickers.”
Abortion pill use has increased in the U.S. in recent years, with 28 percent of abortions provided through telehealth in 2025, compared to seven percent in 2022, according to data from the Society of Family Planning.
The USCCB continues by outlining a three-fold mission: to promote education on issues of life; to encourage prayer, especially to St. Joseph, Protector of Life; and to petition pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies to stop producing and selling the abortion pill.
Therese Phelan, a Notre Dame senior and president of Notre Dame Right to Life (RtL), spoke about the importance of educating people on the abortion pill in an interview with the Rover. “It is quite an understudied field and the pill is often prescribed prematurely and without regard for the potential side effects that it may have on a woman’s mental and physical health.”
RtL hosts many events aimed at increasing students’ knowledge around issues like the abortion pill. Although they have not yet hosted any events responding to the USCCB’s national invitation, Phelan said that the club “plans to address this later this year through a lecture or tabling event.”
Irish 4 Reproductive Health (I4RH), an unofficial student organization, has consistently promoted the use of Plan B, an abortifacient, and distributes pills on campus. The Rover contacted I4RH for a comment, but they were unavailable to sit for an interview before publishing.
Sophomore Madeline Anderson of Pasquerilla West Hall told the Rover about her concern that the accessibility of the abortion pill has produced a lack of understanding of what it is and how it affects women. “The accessibility [of the pill] makes it just so casual,” she said. “Especially with it being mailed to your house, it’s just normal.”
Anderson remarked that this desensitization seriously hurts both mother and child. “I think women have a connection with their child no matter how young the child is,” she said. “And to just sever that in such cruelty, it also breaks the mother’s heart.”
Both Phelan and Anderson recognized that the USCCB’s message will be heard by many people who already adhere to the Catholic Church’s teaching on abortion, though they affirmed its benefit. “While the USCCB’s invitation will mostly be aimed at ‘already pro-life people,’” Phelan said, “I think that many pro-life people and even many Catholics do not understand the gravity of the pill and the negative effect it has on our society.”
“I think it is a beautiful reminder of the position of the Church,” she continued, “and will serve as encouragement and education to many who may not fully understand the Church’s teachings.”
To help Catholics participate in the initiative, The USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities recently released a video presenting a guide for parishes and schools to take action during Respect Life Month.
Robert Myler is a sophomore studying the Program of Liberal Studies and classics. He loves to receive mail, so make his day by emailing him at rmyler2@nd.edu.