Overturning Roe V. Wade

From the Office of the Pastor of Divine Mercy Parish, Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper

OVERTURNING ROE V. WADE 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:

The United States Supreme Court finally issued its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization today, upholding Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, overturning Roe v. Wade on a 6-3 vote, and delivering the pro-life cause its most transformative victory since Roe unleashed nationwide abortion-on-demand in 1973. Justice Samuel Alito delivered the opinion of the Court, which was joined by Chief Justice John Robert and Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barret. The ruling declares Roe “egregiously wrong from the start.” 

“Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences,” Alito wrote. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”

For us who are pro-life, the overturning of Roe v. Wade is an answer to prayer, the correction of a Supreme Court decision 49 years ago that failed to protect the most basic human right, the right to life. In 1973, the U.S. bishops called the Roe v. Wade decision “erroneous, unjust, and immoral.” It was a tragic and sweeping decision which denied the child in the womb the right to life and led to the deaths of millions of unborn children in our nation. The Roe v. Wade decision has also led to the further erosion of the value of human life, even the allowance for partial-birth abortion, near infanticide, as well as a diminishment of respect for the lives of other vulnerable people, including the disabled and the terminally ill, as seen in euthanasia and assisted suicide. 

While we weep for the 63 million precious lives that were lost the past 49 years, we rejoice alongside every witness in heaven over the victory that transpired today for the unborn. We also give thanks to the Lord that our nation’s justices were able to stand strong despite tremendous pressure and threats of personal peril as they overturned the evil that was Roe v. Wade. Though there is still more work ahead to continue the fight, we pause to recognize the magnitude of this decision — and give all glory to God for this victory.

Though we celebrate the reversal of Roe v. Wade, such a reversal will not end abortion in our nation — it pushes the battle back to the states. Permissive abortion laws will continue or increase in many states. We will need to continue to advocate for legislation to protect the unborn and to help their mothers. And we will need to continue to work for the evangelization of our culture since in many ways since Roe v. Wade, what St. John Paul II called “a culture of death” has grown and spread. We evangelize by proclaiming, living, and serving the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of life, the Gospel of love and mercy. We serve the good of society when we teach and educate and form consciences about the dignity of every human person, at every moment and in every condition. We serve the Gospel of life when, motivated by love, we care for the poor, the marginalized, migrants and refugees, the elderly, the suffering, and all who need assistance. We must continue to stand ready to assist and accompany any woman or couple facing unexpected or difficult pregnancies. 

I hope and pray that the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade will mark a new beginning in our nation. In the short term, it will undoubtedly elicit angry protests. I pray that, in the long term, it will help to awaken the conscience of our nation to the sacredness of all human life. May the Lord strengthen us in our commitment to the Gospel of life! May He bless our nation with a new culture of love and solidarity, a culture that respects the dignity of every human person from the moment of conception until natural death!