Why was the church involved in the elections?

The church’s role in fulfilling its political responsibility of addressing issues impacting the sanctity of life is the focus of Archbishop Murphy’s weekly Catholic Northwest Progress “In Joy and Hope” column. He wrote this column in the aftermath of the defeat of ballot Initiatives 119 and 120 in Washington State that would have legalized euthanasia and materially expanded abortion rights. “Religious faith is most relevant when it touches human life and responds to human need,” said Archbishop Murphy. “If the church were not to speak out on such issues, it would be irrelevant to the life of the human community.”