TO: All priests

FR: Bishop McManus

STATEMENT ON TODAY'S SUPREME COURT DOBBS DECISION 

While some people are looking at the Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court as a victory for those who advocate for the life of both the mother and the child in the womb, we must also keep in mind that this decision is a legal recognition of states’ rights. The abortion debate formally moves to 50 states and US territories to decide whether abortion will be legal, limited, or illegal within their borders. Will we be known to the world as a group of states defined by being either pro-life or pro-death? Or, will we acknowledge someday that a country whose foundational principle is freedom and justice for all cannot exclude the most vulnerable, a child in the womb?

Our prayers must continue in earnest for a greater respect for all human life. As Christians we must respond with charity in support of the life of the child in the womb whose dignity deserves our respect and legal protection, to the mother who is afraid, alone or whose life may be in jeopardy, and with respect for all citizens who struggle with this most divisive issue in our country and our world. As Christians we cannot react with violence and hatred toward those with whom we disagree. Only the virtue of charity can vanquish evil.