In a 5-4 decision today, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its nearly 50-year-old decision in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion in this country. The ruling emphasizes that there is no constitutional right to abortion in the United States.
The court's reversal of its long-standing abortion ruling brings abortion policy decisions to the state level. At least half of the states plan to ban or restrict abortions with this decision in place.
The Catholic Bishops of Florida, who have supported a reversal of Roe immediately reacted positively to the court's decision that comes at the end of this year's term.
“The legacy of Roe and Casey has been the imposition of an abortion regime that made our nation one of the most liberal of Western democratic countries on abortion. As a result, over 62 million children nationwide and 3,368,4751 children in Florida were denied the opportunity to live outside the womb since 1973. Mothers, fathers, and families have suffered under the shadow of Roe. Now, decision-making on abortion policy is once again in the hands of the American people and their elected officials. This is a momentous step towards establishing a more robust culture of life.” To read their full statement, click here.
The cornerstone of the church's whole social teaching is that human life is sacred from the moment of conception until natural death. The church also teaches that it is important to surround people in difficult circumstances with love, care and necessary services and to create the kind of conditions in society where every person at every stage of life can flourish.
To learn more about services for women and their families in the 17-county region of the Diocese of St. Augustine, visit https://life.dosafl.com.
Source: Go Make Disciples: Diocese of St. Augustine (June 24, 2022)