Pro-life and Catholic leaders are calling for making abortion unthinkable ahead of the first anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
“While we certainly have our work cut out for us, the strength of the pro-life movement has grown in the past year, and the March for Life will continue to work with courage, joy and peace until the day when abortion is unthinkable,” Jeanne Mancini, the president of the March for Life, said in a press statement.
The court’s June 24, 2022 ruling overturned Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide in 1973, and freed states to decide abortion policy.
Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, head of the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization, celebrated the anniversary.
“Together, more than 2 million strong, the Knights of Columbus will continue to serve as a voice for the sanctity and dignity of every human life as we join the National March for Life in Washington, D.C.; march with thousands in our state capitals; donate ultrasound machines, food, coats and supplies to mothers and their babies; and pray until abortion becomes unthinkable,” he listed in a press statement.
Others also commemorated the anniversary, from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and The Catholic Association to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. All agreed for the need to continue the pro-life movement’s work: To protect and cherish the inherent dignity and worth of every human person, beginning at conception.
March for Life
Leading the March for Life, Mancini focused on the progress made in the past year, beginning with the 25 states that have enacted pro-life protections.
Other national pro-life groups, such as Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, have noted that 25 states have laws to protect unborn babies starting between conception and at 12 weeks of pregnancy. These laws have the potential to save nearly 200,000 lives a year, according to the group’s tracker of pro-life laws following the Dobbs decision.
Mancini also pointed to 16 states that authorize funding for alternatives to abortion — funding that benefits adoption agencies, as well as some of the nearly 3,000 pregnancy centers and maternity homes nationwide that provide life-affirming care for pregnant and parenting women at little to no cost.
As the states consider abortion policy, the March for Life is looking to expand. Through the group’s state march program, Mancini said, the March for Life is advocating for the unborn in eight states this year, with plans to double the number of marches next year and each year after.
Knights of Columbus
At the Knights of Columbus, Kelly commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision on behalf of more than two million knights and their families.
“Today, and for generations to come, the Court’s ruling in Dobbs will be viewed as one of the most significant human rights achievements in our nation’s history,” he said.
He stressed that the knights will continue to fight for the unborn on both the federal and state level while strengthening their support for mothers and children.
His comments come after the knights launched their ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy) initiative one year ago to expand support for pregnancy centers and maternity homes. Knights across the U.S. and Canada, Kelly said, exceeded their first-year goal by raising more than $5 million.
The knights also sponsor an ultrasound initiative, where they cover the cost of ultrasound machines for pregnancy centers. Since 2009, they have funded the purchase of 1,730 ultrasound machines, valued at more than $82 million.
U.S. Catholic Bishops
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, also celebrated Dobbs and, in a press statement, explained how the decision marked the beginning of an important new phase.
“By the grace of God, the nearly fifty-year reign of national abortion on demand has been put to an end,” Bishop Burbidge commented. “Roe v. Wade — a seemingly insurmountable blight on our nation — is no more!”
Like Kelly, he foresaw a long road ahead as some states work to protect the unborn while others strive to enshrine abortion in law.
“The work that lies ahead continues to be not just changing laws but also helping to change hearts, with steadfast faith in the power of God to do so,” he said.
“The task before us begins with the knowledge of the truth and our courage to speak it and to live it with compassion,” he added, saying that each person is called to radical solidarity with women facing unexpected or challenging pregnancies by providing them with the care and support they need to choose life.
He also expressed support for the bishops’ pro-life parish-based initiative, Walking with Moms in Need, and diocesan Project Rachel Ministries, which offers hope and healing after abortion.
The Catholic Association
Two senior fellows at The Catholic Association also weighed in on and celebrated the Dobbs decision in a press statement.
“The anniversary of the Dobbs decision inspires us to continue our march towards a culture that embraces loving, life-affirming, and empowering solutions to pregnant women in crisis,” Maureen Ferguson responded.
Another fellow, Leigh Fitzpatrick Snead, also highlighted the anniversary.
“[W]e celebrate that after 50 years, the Supreme Court of the United States returned to the people the power to extend the basic legal protections to unborn children who face the violence of abortion,” she said.
At the same time, she urged that pro-life movement stands for more than overturning Roe.
“It is about continuing to work towards a civilization of love where every mother, baby (born and unborn), father, and family is protected and supported,” she said. “This includes extending the hand of friendship to our neighbors who don’t yet agree with us, and bearing witness to unconditional love that lies at the heart of this noble movement.”
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America
Ahead of the Dobbs anniversary, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America released a poll of likely voters finding that a majority of Americans agree with pro-life protections.
Among other things, the poll found that three-fourths of voters are opposed to abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, with 77% supporting at least some restriction to abortion, with exceptions for the life of the mother, rape, and incest.
“A year after Dobbs, nearly half the country has laws reflecting the will of the people,” President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a press statement.
She concluded, “Life is winning across America and that’s worth celebrating.”
