The Ohio Catholic Conference has said that a court’s temporary lifting of the 24-hour waiting period for an abortion shows a “callous disregard” for women considering abortion.

This follows an August 23 ruling by Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge David Young that temporarily blocked a state law that requires women to be given abortion information, make two doctor visits and wait 24 hours before they can have an abortion.

The doctor’s visits and the 24-hour waiting period are intended to give the woman time to think about her decision and to determine the gestational age of the unborn child.

In his ruling, Young said the 24-hour waiting period violates Ohio’s constitution, citing the state’s 2023 constitutional amendment guaranteeing a “right to abortion.” The amendment, known as Issue 1, was approved by 57% of the state’s voters last November.

The amendment’s passage invalidated Ohio’s six-week “heartbeat” law. Abortions are currently legal in Ohio up to 20 weeks of pregnancy, or later if the mother’s life is deemed to be in danger.

Young said certain aspects of the law caused “irreparable harm” to those demanding the constitutional right to abortion and that they “fail under the Amendment because there is no evidence or proof that they are the least restrictive means of promoting the health of individuals consistent with generally accepted and evidence-based standards of care.”

For this reason, Young decided to temporarily block the law while a lawsuit filed by Cleveland-based abortion group Preterm and several other abortion advocacy groups plays out in court.

Brian Hickey, executive director of the Ohio Catholic Conference, said in a statement: “The decision to issue a temporary restraining order against Ohio’s 24-hour waiting period law shows a callous disregard for the seriousness of the situation of a woman considering an abortion.”

Hickey claimed that “most abortions” are “unwanted or coerced” and that this decision would only make the situation worse.

“This decision forces women to have an abortion against their will and without the possibility of a compulsory examination. It also defrauds a woman who should have the opportunity to learn about the people who can accompany her and the resources available to her during her pregnancy and after the birth of her child,” he said.

Ohio bishops had strongly opposed the abortion amendment before the vote last year. After the amendment passed, the bishops said it was a “tragic day for women, children and families in Ohio” and warned it would create new obstacles to protecting life.

Still, Hickey said this week, “The Catholic Church throughout Ohio remains committed to providing pregnant women in need with the care and support they may lack if they choose life.”