Texas bishops ‘celebrate’ court ruling blocking US government's requirement for abortions if 'stabilising treatment necessary'

NEW YORK – After a federal appeals court ruled 2 January that emergency room doctors in Texas are not required to perform abortions, effectively blocking regulatory guidance previously issued by the federal government, the state’s Catholic bishops said they welcome the ruling.

“We celebrate the decision by the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals,” the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops said in a statement on 3 January. “The court’s decision affirms that this attempt to require abortions violates both the Texas Human Life Protection Act and the principles of the Catholic Ethical and Religious Directives for Healthcare.”