Today, June 24, 2022, on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus no less, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the 1973 ruling that took abortion laws out of the hands of the people and essentially made it permissive to kill unborn children at will. This is a historic day! From the Catholic News Agency:
The Supreme Court has
overturned Roe v. Wade in a historic 6—3 decision released Friday that brings a
sudden and dramatic end to nearly a half-century of nationwide legalized
abortion in the U.S.
The opinion, in the
Mississippi abortion case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, is
widely seen as the Supreme Court’s most highly anticipated and consequential
ruling since Roe. It not only overturns Roe, the landmark 1973 abortion case,
but also Casey v. Planned Parenthood, a 1992 decision that affirmed Roe.
"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," the opinion states. "We now overrule these decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives."
I thought this might have been anti climatic given the leak of this decision a few weeks ago but frankly when I heard I started sobbing in tears of joy. So much of my politics, heart, and prayers have gone into this. And for it to come on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is too much of a coincidence. It is providential!
In response Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities issued a statement:
“This is a historic day
in the life of our country, one that stirs our thoughts, emotions and prayers.
For nearly fifty 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.
“Our first thoughts are
with the little ones whose lives have been taken since 1973. We mourn their
loss, and we entrust their souls to God, who loved them from before all ages
and who will love them for all eternity. Our hearts are also with every woman
and man who has suffered grievously from abortion; we pray for their healing,
and we pledge our continued compassion and support. As a Church, we need to
serve those who face difficult pregnancies and surround them with love.
“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. We share their joy today
and we are grateful to them. Their work for the cause of life reflects all that
is good in our democracy, and the pro-life movement deserves to be numbered
among the great movements for social change and civil rights in our nation’s
history.
“Now is the time to begin
the work of building a post-Roe America. It is a time for healing wounds and
repairing social divisions; it is a time for reasoned reflection and civil
dialogue, and for coming together to build a society and economy that supports
marriages and families, and where every woman has the support and resources she
needs to bring her child into this world in love.
“As religious leaders, we pledge ourselves to continue our service to God’s great plan of love for the human person, and to work with our fellow citizens to fulfill America’s promise to guarantee the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people.”
I wasn’t going to quote the entire response, but every sentence in there is worth reading. I take humble pride in being one of the millions whose prayers affected this outcome. Don’t ever think that prayers have no effect. They do.
The other thing is that now that we have accomplished this milestone, we must prepare for the battle on the state level. Each state becomes a battle ground, and living in New York, I am at the epicenter of Satan’s reign. May God give us fortitude.
But
for now, for today: Rejoice!
Manny, all the beautiful confluences of June 24, from my perspective, are God saying to us that He is with us, active, and will be with us in the days to come. It was as if he stepped into time a little bit again and said, "I am here!" Those that worship at the altar of abortion may writhe and spit but we should take heart, because God is our very present help. Thanks be to Him and our Lady forever!
ReplyDeleteAmen! Thank you Kelly.
ReplyDelete