Virginia bishop urges faithful to ‘pray, fast and vote no’ on abortion, same-sex marriage amendments
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, urged Catholics to pray, fast and vote no on two proposed state constitutional amendments. The November ballot measures would guarantee access to abortion and remove Virginia’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. As part of the diocesan “Catholics Vote No” campaign, Burbidge asked Catholics to pray the Stations of the Cross and fast during October. He also encouraged Sunday rosary prayer and taking a break from social media, especially before and after Mass.
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Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, is urging Catholics to pray, fast and vote against two proposed constitutional amendments on the state’s November ballot—one concerning abortion access and the other same-sex marriage. His appeal is part of the Diocese of Arlington’s “Catholics Vote No” campaign, which combines spiritual practices with political action.
The abortion amendment would establish a right to abortion while permitting third-trimester restrictions, except when a patient’s health is at risk or a pregnancy is not viable. The marriage amendment would remove Virginia’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage—which has been unenforceable since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling—and affirm marriage between two adults regardless of sex, gender or race.
The article describes the measures as contrary to Catholic teaching: the Church opposes direct abortion and teaches that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman.
In a video message issued Sept. 30, Burbidge called the initiatives “radically unjust” and urged the faithful to work to defeat them. Early voting had begun Sept. 18, ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3.
For October, he asked Catholics to pray the Stations of the Cross and fast by eating one full meal a day and abstaining from meat. On Sundays, he encouraged them to pray the rosary and avoid social media for at least a few hours, especially before and after Mass.
Burbidge said he hoped the Diocese of Arlington would unite in those practices and entrust the election to God’s grace.
Catholic political participation and conscience serve the common good
Catholic political participation is not merely a private preference or party loyalty; it is one way of serving neighbors and seeking the common good. The U.S. bishops describe responsible citizenship as a virtue and political participation as a moral responsibility rooted in baptism and human dignity. It includes more than voting: Catholics may also contribute through public service, community work, advocacy, and thoughtful discussion.
Conscience guides that participation, but it is not simply personal feeling or permission to choose whatever seems right. It is a judgment of reason about the moral quality of a concrete action. Catholics therefore have a serious, continuing duty to form conscience through the Church’s teaching, reason, prayer, and careful attention to the facts.
In practice, this means assessing policies, candidates, and public actions in light of human dignity and the Church’s moral principles—not allowing partisan allegiance to override them. Political choices can involve difficult prudential judgments, so the bishops do not prescribe a candidate; the responsibility for those judgments belongs to each person acting with a well-formed conscience.
The goal is politics ordered toward the good of all, especially the protection of people who are weak or vulnerable. The Church regards public service as a worthy vocation and political work for the common good as a form of charity.