Currents News Staff
The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee Dec. 1 urged Catholics, people of other faiths and all people of goodwill to unite in prayer that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade in its eventual ruling on Mississippi’s ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
His statement was issued the same day the court heard oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, an appeal from Mississippi. Its ban was struck down by a federal District Court in Mississippi in 2018 and upheld a year later by the New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.
“In the United States, abortion takes the lives of over 600,000 babies every year,” said Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health could change that.
We pray that the court will do the right thing and allow states to once again limit or prohibit abortion, and in doing so protect millions of unborn children and their mothers from this painful, life-destroying act.”
Archbishop Lori directed people to www.prayfordobbs.com for Catholic and ecumenical prayers and resources for community engagement and action “as we await the court’s decision in this case.”
It’s something former Vice President Mike Pence says he believes will happen, if not now, in the near future.
“I came here today to speak about right and wrong,” said the former vice president. “Just say, life is a human right and urge the Supreme Court of the United States to choose life.”
If the justices decide to uphold the state law, it would be much easier for other states to ban or more seriously restrict abortion rights.
Bishop Louis Kihneman of Biloxi, Mississippi is watching the case closely.
“We really need to win this battle and we are definitely bringing it to prayer in a big way as a diocese,” the bishop said, “and I’m hoping the whole country will pray for the Supreme Court justices to make a decision that is built on the right to life.”
A decision isn’t expected until sometime next year, but pro-life advocates are hoping the court will begin to undo the damage caused by Roe v. Wade. The Director of Pro-Life Activities for the New York State Catholic Conference is one of them.
Kathleen Gallagher is in albany and joined Currents News to talk about this important case.
Contributing to this story was Catholic News Service