Preview

On January 22, 1973, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision that would have a dramatic impact on our nation. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the United States, which has resulted in more than 54 million lives lost.

It’s a sobering milestone. As Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, stated, “This is not an anniversary we celebrate, it is an annual observance that invites somber reflection.”

It is also a critical time to emphasize the Catholic Social Teaching principles of Life and Dignity of the Human Person and Rights and Responsibilities. And the words of our bishops can be a powerful voice for the voiceless: Our Sunday Visitor has compiled bishops' statements that were released in many dioceses about the anniversary.

One of the bishops quoted in the article, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, had this to say about the anniversary:

As Catholics, we have been entrusted with the good news of Jesus Christ—that the human person is sacred and created in God’s image. But we live in a society that has accepted legalized abortion for 40 years and is now moving more and more to the acceptance of euthanasia. This is the challenge we face—as a Church and as individuals. ... We have been in this struggle for life in our society for a long time. We need to keep at it. And we need to deepen our efforts at every level, beginning in our own personal commitment to the Church’s teaching on life.

To read the full article, click here.

For more information on the Catholic Social Teaching principles noted above, click here.