Colorado Catholic Conference

04/24/2026

HB26-1335, about stockpiling abortion pills on college campuses, is being heard on the House floor. argued that pastors and religion should have no opinion on the destruction of human life via abortion. One of the primary roles of the Church is to speak on moral formation of individuals and society, which includes abortion. There is no political, constitutional, philosophical or theological basis to the claim that faith and politics cannot coexist. Actually, the latter depends on the former. From the time of the Founding, our leaders recognized that a faithful citizenry was needed to preserve a moral society and self government. The so-called “wall of separation” penned by Jefferson to the Danbury baptists only applied to state organized religion, as did the First Amendment. Indeed, a young woman in crisis pregnancy NEEDS to understand the impact of abortion on her own soul, her health, and her baby. Arguing that religion and pastors should be absent of this conversation is a poor understanding of our founding, our constitution, and the role and need of the Church in civic life.

03/31/2026

The Colorado Catholic Conference is heartened by the Chiles v. Salazar decision at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 31st. Read our full statement here: https://www.cocatholic.org/statement/ccc-statement-on-united-states-supreme-court-decision-in-chiles-v.-salazar

03/25/2026

The Colorado Catholic Conference of Bishops celebrates the Protect Kids Colorado initiatives securing their place on the November ballot! Now we must make these ballot propositions law!

# 108 Penalties for Human Trafficking of a Minor initiative strengthens laws against the s*x trafficking of children, including changing the crime from a class 2 felony to a class 1 felony with a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or release.

#109 Male and Female Participation in School Sports initiative requires all interscholastic and intermural athletic programs to be expressly designated based on biological s*x as either for men, women, or coeducational (co-ed).

#110 Prohibit Certain Surgeries on Minors
initiative prohibits medical providers from knowingly performing, prescribing, or administering a medical intervention or surgery on a minor with the intent to alter their biological s*x and prohibits state funding from being used for such medical interventions or surgeries.

https://www.cpr.org/2026/03/20/catholic-bishops-transgender-ballot/?fbclid=IwdGRleAQwVZJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEehEUkaBT7kHO3AkX2Mmo2TjFJVFIl_R5-VVD5hmWQDO2m0gHQW9Rfj3PMpEY_aem_VZYN35nYD5MLsgEhR8xYeg

Initiatives 109 and 110 would change how transgender youth can participate in sports and limit gender-affirming care.

03/25/2026

HB26-1141 is the worst attack on religious liberty for faith-based schools in Colorado history. It’s currently held up in House appropriations. We must pray it stays there.

“Opponents include some religious groups, including the Colorado Catholic Conference, which is the united voice of the four bishops of Colorado, representing the three dioceses in public policy. Executive Director Brittany Vessely said people following the tenets of the Catholic faith don’t necessarily look at homos*xuality and transgender issues in the same way that the legislation would require.

Catholicism, she said, doesn’t support or recognize same-s*x marriages or transitioning from one gender to another. She believes enforcing the rules in the bill during their school day could infringe on the First Amendment rights of those who use a different lens to look at such topics.

“The bill defines acts of discrimination based on s*xual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as unlawful and specifies grievance procedures for students and employees who are accused of committing those so-called acts of discrimination, including verbally professing the religious belief about human s*xuality and marriage,” she said.

She worries that expressing the views of the Catholic Church could put one in violation of the legislation if it becomes law.”

People could file complaints against schools to state Civil Rights Division, but cost of law may block passage.

03/11/2026

Last Friday we had our first annual Catholic Day at the Capitol. Archbishop Aquila gave a prayer for the legislature in front of many Catholics across the state of Colorado, who came to the Capitol to learn how they can help to make a difference in the legislature.

03/06/2026

Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila offered the opening prayer over the Colorado House of Representatives today during Catholic Lobby Day hosted by the Colorado Catholic Conference!

Please join us in praying for our legislators and all who serve in public office, that the Holy Spirit may guide their work in promoting the dignity of every human person and the common good.

02/28/2026

Listen to CCC Associate Director Nathan Fisher discuss HB26-1292 Scholarship Granting Organizations on Dan Caplis! Come testify against this terrible bill to protect faith based schools and education opportunity for Colorado students. Hearing is on March 12 at 1:30pm.

HB26-1292 requires all private schools that enroll students on the federal tax credit scholarship program to abide by the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) requirements, including not “discriminating against” s*xual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. This includes: admissions, enrollment, academic performance, access and participation in services, and retention. Schools in violation are subject to injunction. Schools will be required to publish their non-discrimination compliance on their website. This bill restricts the religious integrity and autonomy of faith based schools that do not adhere to the state definition of gender ideology. By doing so, it restricts education opportunity for thousands of Colorado children who would otherwise be able to choose a Catholic or faith based school with their privately funded school choice scholarship.

HB26-1292 is a gross overreach of the state and violation of the First amendment protections of speech and expression. In Espinoza v. Montana (2020), the U.S. Supreme Court already ruled that a state cannot discriminate against a faith based school in their tax credit scholarship program. Furthermore, in National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra (2018), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state of California could not compel the speech of crisis pregnancy centers by forcing them to disclose abortion information on their websites. HB 1292 forces schools to publish non-discrimination code that violates their sincerely held belief. It therefore contradicts U.S. Supreme Court precedent, the constitution, and parental rights.

HB26-1292 is a direct response to the new federal tax credit created by Congress in HR1 last July. Gov. Polis supports the adoption of the tax credit, which could generate potentially hundreds of millions of dollars for Colorado students that will go directly to support the student.

02/27/2026

House Education committee went late into the night- which means our coalition went home! Our executive director Brittany Vessely was the lone opposition to the latest expansion of Colorado’s Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA), HB26-1141 Discriminatory Practice in Public Schools.

HB 1141 presents a massive violation in freedom of speech and expression in K-12 and higher education. The bill defines “acts of discrimination based on disability, race, creed, s*x, gender identity, and gender expression” as unlawful and specifies “grievance procedures” for students and employees who are accused of committing “acts of discrimination,” including verbally profession their religious or sincerely held beliefs about human s*xuality and marriage on public education K-12 or a higher education campus. The bill also empowers the Colorado Civil Rights Commission to file charges against schools and individuals who violate this law. The bill allows 60 days for schools to rectify discriminatory behavior and mandates ongoing monitoring by the Commission for compliance. The bill also establishes the appointment of a Title VI coordinator to manage compliance with the Civil Rights Act.

Under the guise of “non-discrimination,” the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) actually discriminates against any person and public or private institution that expresses a belief about human s*xuality or marriage that is contrary to the state definition, including “s*xual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.”

In practical terms, this bill would NOT permit student organizations at colleges or K-12 campuses to form faith based groups or host speakers/events that promote marriage as only between one man and one woman or argue that gender and biological s*x are the same and conform to one’s biological s*x assigned at birth.

Freedom of speech and expression are God-given rights protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, and HB26-1141 is woefully in violation of both.

We need more Coloradans to testify against this horrible bill in Senate Education! Hearing TBD.

02/25/2026

Today, Bishop Rodriguez came to pray over the Rally for Women before they walked over to a late-term abortion clinic in Aurora.

The rally today highlighted a new bill dropped in the Colorado Legislature, HB26-1243 CDPHE Regulation of Abortion Clinics, which will provide oversight to Colorado second and third trimester abortions. Currently, there is effectively zero regulations on abortion clinics in Colorado.

HB26-1243 is in House State Affairs Committee on Monday March 9th at 1:30pm.

The Marisol Bus was also there! This mobile unit can provide women with an ultrasound and a referral and are located near abortion clinics to help give mothers another option.

We are thankful for Bishop Rodriguez and his support for the health of women and sanctity of life across Colorado and all who came out today!

11/24/2025

Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of Christ the King. Today we should meditate further on what that means for our lives. With excerpts from Quas Prima, the encyclical promulgated by Pope Pius XI instituting the feast of Christ the King, we can better understand how to make Christ the King of our hearts and the world.