Week in Review
Planned Parenthood Sues HHS for ‘Pro-Family’ Changes to Title X
Planned Parenthood is suing the Department of Health and Human Services for new requirements to receive Title X funding that attempt to make the program more “pro-family.”
Title X is the only dedicated federal program for family planning services. It subsidizes birth control, pregnancy tests, STI screening/treatment, cancer screenings, and related care—primarily for low-income, uninsured, or underinsured people. It does not fund abortion. Grantees must offer a “broad range of acceptable and effective family planning methods and services,” including natural family planning, infertility services, and services for adolescents.
In April 2026 with a revision this past month, President Trump’s HHS issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity that outlines new requirements for the program. These requirements were seemingly created to bar Planned Parenthood specifically from receiving Title X funds.
The two biggest changes are:
- A shift away from forms of hormonal birth control and a shift toward “fertility awareness” and natural family planning. This comes in an attempt to, according to HHS, “reducing overmedicalization” and promote “family formation.”
- Ending the DEI program, with a refocus on “biological reality” and opposing gender ideology.
Planned Parenthood affiliates have long been major participants of Title X with 32 affiliates participating with 240+ clinics in 29 states.
The abortion giant is upset with the changes and has filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia just this past Tuesday. The lawsuit claims that the proposed realignment is unlawful in that the changes don’t align with Title X’s original purpose as a family planning program.
Bishops Call Catholics to Prayer and Action as US Abortion Numbers Continue to Rise
Archbishop Paul Oakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Bishop Daniel Thomas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, announced a nationwide call to prayer and action in response to the rising number of preborn babies killed by the abortion pill.
According to OSV News, the bishops issued a joint statement on Monday about this upcoming call to prayer and action, which will officially launch August 18. The effort follows recent data from the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, which reported that 1.12 million “clinician-provided” abortions took place in 2025. This number does not account for abortions at home by the abortion pill, however, meaning that the number of preborn children lost to abortion is likely much higher.
In their statement, Archbishop Oakley and Bishop Thomas said the following about these rising numbers:
Every abortion involves the death of a child and harm to the mother. Now with easier access to abortion pills, the abortion rate is tragically climbing, along with increased health risks. . . . [The FDA] has enabled a nationwide mail-order abortion industry by allowing abortion pills to be prescribed in telehealth appointments and sold both at neighborhood pharmacies and online, circumventing state laws that protect life in the womb. . . . The USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities is inviting Catholics to join a focused effort of prayer and action to stop the spread of abortion pills.
The bishops urged Catholics to specifically pray for the intercession of St. Joseph, Defender of Life. Additionally, the USCCB’s Pro-Life Activities Committee will be promoting actions for Catholics to take and developing educational resources about the abortion pill and will teach the difference between miscarriage care and killing a child through abortion.
This call to both action and prayer, specifically through the intercession of St. Joseph, reminds us just how much of a spiritual battle the fight to defend the most vulnerable truly is. Abortion is an evil that not only denies the scientific fact that there is a preborn child in the womb, but it has led generations to rationalize it in “certain circumstances” or just simply become apathetic toward the murder.
This is why we must pray daily for the end of abortion in our nation and world. We also must pray for courage and perseverance in this great fight, which can feel overwhelming and discouraging at times. In the Gospel of Matthew, Our Lord reminds us that man is limited in his capacity, but with God, all things are possible. God asks us to talk to Him and to trust and rely upon Him with the seeming impossibilities of our time. If we hope to help change the hearts and minds of those who support, commit, or choose abortion for their own child, we must seek Our Lord’s guidance, grace, and strength.
We are glad to see the USCCB not only attempting to inspire us to take action to defeat abortion but also imploring us to seek God first while in this battle.
Similar to this call for prayerful action, ALL’s Marian Blue Wave program calls Catholics across the nation to pray the rosary once a week for end to all abortions, including surgical, pill, contraceptive, and IVF abortions, and for the closure of all Planned Parenthood’s virtual and physical facilities. To take the pledge to say a weekly rosary, click here to join us.
ALL in the News
Susan Ciancio, editor of Celebrate Life Magazine and director of the Culture of Life Studies Program, recently published three articles. The first, “Murder Is Still Murder, Regardless of How Small the Victim Is,” was published with LifeSiteNews. She published “The Spiritual Significance of Serving Others” with Catholic World Report. And lastly, she published “A Cannonball, a Conversion, and a Call to Set the World Ablaze” with Catholic365.
ALL’s national director, Katie Brown Xavios, regularly posts updates about American Life League and its important work on social media channels X and LinkedIn. Follow her accounts to stay up to date.
Twice a week, Judie’s commentaries are distributed to an expansive media list. The list contains over 100 media outlets such as Fox News, The Federalist, Breitbart, and The Daily Caller, among others. Judie’s commentaries are each featured on the front page of ALL.org.
Pro-Life Education
Culture of Life Studies Program
St. Ignatius: Loving and Caring for the Whole Person introduces young teens in grades 7–8 to the inspiring story of St. Ignatius, the accident that transformed his life, and the Ignatian principle of cura personalis, meaning “care for the whole person.” Through St. Ignatius’ example, young people discover the importance of caring for their own physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being while recognizing the unique dignity and needs of every human being. This resource encourages children to follow Christ’s example by seeing others with compassion and responding to them with love and care. Just $3! ORDER HERE
St. Ignatius: Cura Personalis introduces high schoolers to the Ignatian principle of cura personalis, meaning “care for the whole person.” Through the example of St. Ignatius and his teachings, teens discover that every human being is created with unique gifts, inherent dignity, and a purpose. This resource encourages young people to see others with compassion and build a culture of life by caring for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those around them. Just 3! ORDER HERE
ALL’s Education Materials
Inaccurate science leads to the dehumanizing of preborn babies. From the moment the sperm fertilizes the egg, a new human being is created and begins growing exponentially each day. Containing a scientifically accurate and descriptive illustration of a baby’s development, this brochure not only takes you on a five-week journey with the baby as you watch him grow, but it identifies the language used by some in the scientific community who strive to obfuscate the truth about when a human being’s life truly begins—a tactic that results in more abortions and more dead babies. SHOP NOW
Pro-Life Social Media
VIDEO FLASHBACK: Former Abortionist Turned Pro-Life Advocate Teaches Students to ‘Be Not Afraid’
Dr. Haywood Robinson wasn’t always a Christian. He converted after attending a 1986 concert with his wife, Noreen. Hearing the gospel changed his understanding of the preborn child and how his previous work as an abortionist was depriving children of their God-given rights. Soon afterward, he became a pro-life speaker and advocate.
Last week he died of heart failure. He was 74.
In 2007, Dr. Robinson joined American Life League’s Training and Activism conference and spoke to a young audience of pro-life advocates. Take some time to watch, and then please say a prayer for the repose of his soul.