The US Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional right to abortion. The American Episcopate reacts.
Editor (24/06/2022 12:23 PM, Gaudium Press) In a landmark ruling with worldwide repercussions, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the legality of a Mississippi state law banning abortion after the 15th week of pregnancy.
The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization establishes that there is no constitutional right to abortion. The decision allows a restriction on abortion two months earlier than the Court had ruled in 1973 Roe v. Wade.
Therefore, today’s landmark ruling is virtually a reversal of Roe v. Wade.
Moreover, the Supreme Court’s decision now explicitly states that the Roe decision was blatantly incorrect in recognizing a non-existent constitutional right to abortion. An error that has continued to this day.
Today’s decision by the highest American Court does not outlaw abortion in the USA. Still, it declares that it is protected by the fundamental charter of the Union and leaves it up to state legislation to establish regulations in this respect, respecting the principles established in the Magna Carta.
However, from opposing sides, several U.S. states will declare abortion a crime (according to some analysts, at least 12), while abortion will continue to be legal in others.
Although some media talk of a close ruling, the reality is different: of the nine justices that make up the Supreme Court, six supported the anti-abortion decision: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts and Samuel Alito. The latter, whose opinion leaked to the media, warned that the ruling would be in the sense that today is confirmed, triggering violent acts against pro-life institutions and even coercion against the Supreme Court justices themselves.
U.S. bishops react
The American episcopate reacted quickly to the news of the ruling through its president Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, and Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore. Lori is the head of the episcopate’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities. Read the full statement here.
“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,” the bishops said.
It is clear that the news of today’s decision, much more than an endpoint, sets in motion a new reality, as the eyes of the world will continue to monitor new developments.
Compiled by Gustavo Kralj
