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The bill titled “Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Care Act 2024,” currently under review by Sierra Leone’s legislators, has sparked strong opposition within the Catholic community. In his Christmas message for 2024, published on December 24, Bishop Bob John Hassan Koroma of the Catholic Diocese of Makeni called for the rejection of this proposed law. His opposition reflects both religious and ethical concerns.

Proponents of the bill argue that it aims to improve maternal and reproductive health across the country. According to them, the goal is to establish standards for sexual and reproductive healthcare while ensuring rights related to “safe motherhood.” During a meeting held on December 15, in collaboration with Marie Stopes, an international organization supportive of abortion, proponents also emphasized the need to enhance access to family planning in the country.

However, this proposal has been strongly criticized by religious leaders, particularly for using terms like “family planning” and “sexual and reproductive health services,” which are seen as contrary to the predominant religious teachings in Sierra Leone. The Interreligious Council of Sierra Leone (IRCSL) declared that the proposed bill constitutes a serious violation of the country’s spiritual values.

In his Christmas message, Bishop Koroma firmly rejected the bill, calling it a subtle attempt to legalize abortion. “As Catholics, we believe this is an affront to the sanctity of life, a fundamental principle we celebrate through the birth of the child Jesus,” he said.

Recalling the Church’s teachings on the value of human life, he cited Saint John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae, which condemns abortion as “a crime that violates the integrity of the human person, insults human dignity, and poisons society.”

Bishop Koroma urged legislators with a religious conscience, as well as all people of goodwill, to vote against the bill. “Alongside my fellow bishops, I call on all parliamentarians capable of discerning good from evil to firmly oppose this legislation,” he affirmed.

Despite the controversy, the bishop concluded his message with words of hope, offering his Christmas blessings to the people of God. He prayed that the Jubilee Year 2025 would be marked by peace and abundant grace.

“I wish you all a joyful and grace-filled Christmas and a New Year in 2025 filled with peace, hope, and the abundant blessings of God,” he implored.

The “Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Care Act 2024” continues to divide opinions in Sierra Leone, with its proponents advocating for enhanced reproductive rights and its opponents, led by the Catholic Church, defending the sanctity of human life. This debate reflects deep tensions between legislative modernization and religious values, raising fundamental questions about ethics and rights in a society undergoing transformation.

Rev. Fr. George Nwachukwu
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