A victory for life in the womb!

RICHARD A. SOKERKA

June 24, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, was a watershed moment in our nation’s history as the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in a decision that ends nearly a half-century of nationwide legalized abortion in the U.S. The decision not only overturned Roe, the landmark 1973 abortion case, but also Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a 1992 decision that affirmed Roe.

For the Catholic Church and the wider pro-life movement in the United States, which have painstakingly sought Roe’s reversal since the landmark 7–2 decision was handed down on Jan. 19, 1973, the decision was reason for celebration. In a statement, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote, “This is a historic day in the life of our country, one that stirs our thoughts, emotions and prayers.

“For nearly 50 years, America has enforced an unjust law that has permitted some to decide whether others can live or die; this policy has resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of preborn children, generations that were denied the right to even be born.

“America was founded on the truth that all men and women are created equal, with God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This truth was grievously denied by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized and normalized the taking of innocent human life. We thank God today that the Court has now overturned this decision. We pray that our elected officials will now enact laws and policies that promote and protect the most vulnerable among us.”

The bishops also praised the faithful for fighting the good fight for nearly 50 years. “Today’s decision is also the fruit of the prayers, sacrifices, and advocacy of countless ordinary Americans from every walk of life. Over these long years, millions of our fellow citizens have worked together peacefully to educate and persuade their neighbors about the injustice of abortion, to offer care and counseling to women, and to work for alternatives to abortion, including adoption, foster care, and public policies that truly support families.”

The majority opinion by the Supreme Court stated, “Abortion presents a profound moral question. The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each state from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. We now overrule these decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives.”

With so much to celebrate after the ruling, there are still obstacles in the way of the pro-life community for the total end to abortion moving forward.

The decision did not ban or criminalize abortion, nor did it recognize an unborn child’s constitutional right to life.

And, President Joe Biden, still calling himself “a devout Catholic,” had the opportunity to reconcile himself to the teachings of his Church, but instead toed the Democratic Party line where his allegiance lies, calling the ruling, “a tragic mistake.”

“It’s a sad date for the country, in my view, but that doesn’t mean the fight is over,” Biden said. He called for Congress to codify Roe and the legal framework it created into federal law. He also said he had that day directed the Department of Health and Human Services to make abortion pills more widely available, and that he would do “everything in my power” to protect women traveling to obtain abortions.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who also claims to be “a devout Catholic” but has been banned from receiving Holy Communion in her home Archdiocese of San Francisco for her extreme abortion views, doubled down like the President, saying, “There’s no point in saying ‘Good morning,’ because it certainly is not one.” She went on to refer to the Court ruling as “dark” and motivated by a desire to “strip” women of their freedom.

Yet, on June 24 in one, breathtaking stroke, the Court’s action swept away any and all entrenched legal barriers, created and strictly enforced by the federal judiciary, that for decades have blocked states like Mississippi from heavily restricting or prohibiting the killing of unborn children in the womb.

In the process, the decision ushers in a new era with the battleground now shifting to state legislatures that are now free to debate and regulate abortion as they see fit, as happened throughout American history before the Supreme Court federalized the issue.

“An entirely new pro-life movement begins today. We are ready to go on offense for life in every single one of those legislative bodies, in each statehouse and the White House,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life American, said in a statement June 24. “Over the next few years we will have the opportunity to save hundreds of thousands, even millions of lives by limiting the horror of abortion in many states.”

In union with the U.S. Bishops, we praise the Catholic pro-life community “for their work for the cause of life, reflecting all that is good in our democracy” and we certify that “the pro-life movement deserves to be numbered among the great movements for social change and civil rights in our nation’s history.”

June 24 was a day for all Catholics to be proud of the Church and rejoice for all the decades of work that it did that led to this momentous day. We pray to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus to protect all life in the womb!