The chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities has called recent strict limits on abortion enacted by various states “very encouraging.”
“Every single human life has value,” Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, said in a statement Thursday. “The trend of states passing pro-life legislation is a very encouraging move toward ensuring that our society cherishes unborn children and their most basic right to life.”
Archbishop Naumann said that the pro-life movement has always had “two critical goals,” increasing support for mothers and children and “eliminating the tragedy of abortion.”
“Our march for justice and human rights for unborn children will not be complete until they are recognized and protected as persons by the law. Our ultimate objective, however, is for abortion to be unthinkable. As we celebrate these pro-life legislative victories, we reiterate our commitment to supporting all mothers with the care and resources they need. The Church stands ready to help and welcome them.”
Pro-life legislators have been encouraged by recent appointments to the United States Supreme Court and see an opportunity to force the court to reconsider Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, the 1973 decisions that allowed abortion nationwide for almost any reason up until birth. Several states, particularly in the South and Midwest, have passed so-called “heartbeat bills,” in which abortion is prohibited when a fetal heartbeat can be detected, around six weeks gestation. Then, some states passed legislation that moved the timeline even closer to conception, such as Alabama. That state’s Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill banning nearly all abortions unless the mother’s physical or mental health is in jeopardy.
Pro-abortion organizations have vowed to challenge the new laws in court.
And today we celebrate...