Editorial

Dobbs anniversary a reminder work still needs to be done in building a culture of life

“Abortion is profoundly anti-women. Three-quarters of its victims are women: half the babies and all the mothers.”
—St. Teresa of Calcutta

It was nearly a year ago to the day that the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion on demand in 1973. In its landmark 5-4 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling released on June 24, 2022, the Court emphasized that there is no constitutional right to abortion in the U.S.

The Dobbs case involved a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks, in which the state directly challenged the high court’s previous abortion-related precedents in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey. The Supreme Court ultimately overturned its own prior rulings, undoing nearly a half-century of its own precedent on the issue.

The ruling was cheered by pro-life advocates across the country—including in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis—who for five decades had worked to put an end to the killing of innocent children. More than 60 million unborn children had their lives prematurely ended by abortion during that time. The actions left a tragic stain on our society and left discouraged and heartbroken many people who had worked tirelessly to build a culture of life.

But Dobbs shone a light on a darkness that had existed for far too long.

“The Archdiocese of Indianapolis remains vigilant in its efforts to do all that it can to provide loving support to women before and after the birth of their babies regardless of creed, ethnicity or language, so that no woman ever feels alone,” Archbishop Charles C. Thompson said after the Dobbs decision last June. “We urge all people who care about human life and the common good to prioritize the well-being of women, children and families with both material resources and personal accompaniment so that no woman ever feels forced to choose between improving her circumstances and the life of her child.”

Those who support abortion rights and many in the secular media offered the misconception that there were few—if any—resources for women who decided against having an abortion. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Church throughout the U.S., including in central and southern Indiana, has for decades provided ministries to accompany expectant mothers to help them choose life. In the archdiocese’s 39-county region, resources have been and continue to be available at lnkiy.in/MomResources. The archdiocese is also part of Walking with Moms in Need, an initiative by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to help parishes find those resources and better serve moms who turn to them for help. Visit www.walkingwithmomsindy.org for more information.

Last year’s court decision led to several states moving to give legal protection to unborn babies. (See related article on page 1 of this week's issue.) Texas implemented a near-total ban on abortion at any point in pregnancy, while other states, such as Georgia, banned the procedure after six weeks, effectively before many women know they are pregnant and thus banning most abortions in practice. Other states, including North Carolina, have approved restrictions at later gestational points in an unborn child’s development, where a 12-week abortion ban is scheduled to go into effect in July.

States like Indiana have bans or other limitations on abortion that are currently blocked by pending legal challenges. The Indiana State Supreme Court has still not ruled on one case, and another case is working its way through the appellate courts. Arizona, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah and Wyoming are facing similar legal challenges.

Sadly, some states—California, New York and Oregon among them— are expanding abortion access, making it easier for women to cross state lines to undergo the procedure.

Every baptized Christian is called to the same mission, which is to see others with Jesus’ eyes and heart. The states who are expanding abortion access remind us that there is still much more work to be done. They also remind us we must continue to storm the heavens with prayer that where the unborn are concerned, we can continue converting hardened and uninformed hearts. At the same time, we must continue to accompany expectant mothers to help them choose life.

—Mike Krokos