Most Rev. Mark Brennan, Bishop of the Diocese of WheelingCharleston, releases the following statement regarding the passage of HB 302.

The action taken by our elected officials to provide greater legal protection for the unborn is an important step in fostering a sincere culture of life in the Mountain State.

It is clear that work remains to be done to soften hearts and create a society that values and protects every human life. It is clear that it will take time to heal the personal and societal scars from abortion permitted for so long under the Roe regime. I pray that as a State, we continue to move toward these moral and just ends. I encourage our representatives to continue to lead us in that direction by providing ample resources to support women and children, by expanding access to quality and affordable childcare, by promoting paid maternity and family leave, by better protecting victims of domestic violence, by promoting and facilitating adoption, and by addressing food insecurity.

A culture that values life will bind and unite us; it will orient us toward seeking the common good for one another.