Bishop James Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln is urging Nebraska residents to pray and vote against an upcoming pro-abortion amendment on the November ballot that he described as “dangerous and deceptive.”

Bishop Conley’s message, shared in a September 27 X post, cited the start of Respect Life Month in October and the beginning of early voting in Nebraska as particular reasons for his call to action against the “Protect the Right to Abortion” amendment, or Initiative 439.

The bishop called on the faithful to use the “powerful weapons” at their disposal: prayer and the right to vote. In particular, Bishop Conley requested participation in the Sacred Heart Novena, which begins on Tuesday, October 1.

“Please join me in praying to convert hearts and minds to vote against Initiative 439,” the bishop stated.

If passed, Initiative 439 would amend the Nebraska State Constitution to include a “right” to abortion up until fetal viability, which is usually around 24 weeks.

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According to Bishop Conley, Initiative 439 “will ensure unregulated, late pregnancy abortions, force taxpayers to fund abortions, and threaten decades of common sense health and safety measures.”

As CatholicVote reported previously, the Nebraska Supreme Court recently allowed the addition of the “Protect Women and Children” amendment on the Nebraska November ballot, which would enshrine the state’s current 12-week abortion ban in the State Constitution.

In November, Nebraska voters will choose between the Protect Women and Children amendment and Initiative 439, which would undo the state’s current 12-week ban.

“Voters in our state are facing a dangerous and deceptive amendment to the Constitution,” the Bishop stated, adding, “We must join to defeat it.”

“God bless all of you, especially all mothers and their unborn babies,” Bishop Conley concluded.

LifeNews Note: Rachel Quackenbush writes for CatholicVote, where this column originally appeared.