The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) has issued an urgent appeal to Senators to reject the Medical Services Amendment Bill ahead of its February 10 debate. The legislation, already passed by the National Assembly, seeks to expand abortion access, including without parental or spousal consent—even for minors—a move the bishops decry as a grave trivialization of deliberately ending the lives of defenseless unborn children.
Titled “An Appeal to Conscience: Defending Innocent Lives” and released on February 4, 2026, the ZCBC statement urges lawmakers to uphold their constitutional duty to protect the unborn to the fullest extent. “We ask that you uphold your constitutional responsibility to protect the right to life of unborn children to the maximum degree possible,” the bishops declared, emphasizing that state laws must not facilitate or normalize abortion.
They warn this bill undermines Zimbabwe’s moral heritage, African values, and Christian teachings, striking at family dignity and established safeguards. Highlighting the nation’s recent repeal of the death penalty as a step toward valuing life, the bishops lament: “As we give thanks for the repeal of the death penalty in Zimbabwe, let us also pray that children still hidden in the womb will not suffer the same fate simply because their faces are unseen and their voices unheard.”
They decry abortion as the elimination of innocent lives created in God’s image, calling for alternatives like robust prenatal care, counseling, and ongoing support for vulnerable women and children.The ZCBC offers collaboration on morally sound legislation and appeals to all Christians and people of goodwill to oppose the bill through prayer and action.
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