A Matter of the Heart
A Statement of the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops on the Thirtieth Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
November 12, 2002
Each year on January 22nd – the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court
decision in Roe v. Wade – people pause to recognize the date in some way. Some
speak out, some march, some reach out, some educate, some just reflect. Many
pray.
Each year, for thirty years, pro-life Americans have shown that their
commitment will not waver, their efforts will not cease. Our firm conviction as
Catholics that "life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of
conception" (Second Vatican Council's Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the
Modern World, no. 51) has been a part of the Church's constant witness since the
Apostolic age and has inspired millions to defend human life at every stage.
Against the backdrop of a society in which many institutions of influence
endorse legal abortion, the pro-life movement has grown year by year, in numbers
and in vitality.
As we reflect on the thirtieth anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we express
gratitude to those who have worked tirelessly for human life and against this
ruling from the very beginning and continue to do so. They have lobbied,
counseled and prayed. Many have suffered for their pro-life convictions. At the
same time, what is perhaps most striking on this anniversary is how many young
people have taken up the cause for life, and how impassioned is their
support.(1) This generation was born into a society already altered by Roe v.
Wade and brings a special enthusiasm to the movement. This is the generation
that knows it was born at a time and in a place where there was no legal
assurance of continued survival at the earliest stages of life, in the womb.
In the United States abortion is legal throughout pregnancy. Yet abortion is
a violation of human rights incomparable in magnitude and an atrocity for the
whole human family. While Roe v. Wade appeared to create a right with some
limitations, Doe v. Bolton, which was decided the same day, erased those
limitations by creating a "health" exception so broad that it effectively allows
abortion for any reason at any time.(2) The lack of any limits to legal abortion
was never more clear than in the case of Stenberg v. Carhart in 2000, when the
Supreme Court ruled that even the horrific partial-birth abortion procedure
could not be restricted. Most Americans are surprised and shocked to learn about
the lack of any meaningful legal limitations for abortion. Most know things have
gone too far.(3) Together with those from many other faith communities, we work
to bring about a society that recognizes abortion for what it truly is.
Many young people today comprehend the legacy of Roe. They look at thirty
years of legal abortion and weep over the 40 million lives destroyed. They are
aware that one in every four pregnancies ends in abortion,(4) and they grieve
for the world they will soon inherit. They mourn the fact that each year
approximately 1.3 million abortions take place, and that thousands of them are
done in the sixth month of pregnancy or later, when the child would likely
survive if born.(5)
Many who came of age at the time of Roe were hopeful about what it was said
to promise: an end to poverty and abuse. Who would not hope for these things?
But legal abortion promised what it could not give. It promised women a freedom
to participate more fully in society, but it took their children and broke their
hearts. Countless women have suffered physically, emotionally, and spiritually
because of abortion; many have even lost their lives. Many men, too, mourn the
loss of their children, while others carry the heavy burden of having persuaded
their daughter, wife, or girlfriend to have an abortion.
Thirty years after Roe v. Wade, some may think that the pro-life movement's
efforts have amounted to nothing because Roe v. Wade still stands.
But that misses the heart of the matter:
* Today fewer abortions are being done each year, and fewer doctors are
willing to be involved in abortion.(6)
* More Americans identify themselves as pro-life, while the numbers of
those saying they are "pro-choice" have declined significantly.(7)
* Ultrasound and other medical advances have made possible a greater
appreciation of the humanity of the unborn child.
* In these three decades thousands of pro-life groups, individual
parishes, Catholic social service agencies and pregnancy resource centers have
provided practical assistance and support to thousands of women facing difficult
pregnancies.
* Most state legislatures have enacted measures to restrict or regulate the
practice of abortion and reduce its incidence.
Above all, the pro-life movement is brimming with the vibrancy of youth.
Why so much youthful energy in the cause of life? Because the hearts of the
young are open to life and are filled with love of life. The minds of the young
are open to the truth about abortion. They dream of a world without Roe v. Wade,
and they live as if the dream were true. Their hearts are full of compassion for
unborn children and for young women who are confused and suffering, and they
look for ways to serve them. Many in the last generation fought for legal
abortion; but more today know that women deserve better, and so fight for true
freedom for women. Young people know that the future is in their hands, and
their hearts yearn to bring a message of hope and healing to a culture in great
need of hearing it.
Among those who defend abortion, there are many who do so despite the pain
abortion has brought into their lives, or even sometimes because of it. Many
contemplating abortion believe they have no other choice. We listen to them, we
understand their sense of isolation and despair. We must strive to know their
hearts.
We renew our offer of assistance to anyone considering abortion: If you are
overwhelmed by the decisions you face, if you cannot afford medical care, if you
are homeless or feel helpless, whatever your needs, we will help you. The Church
and her ministries, inspired by the word and example of Jesus Christ, will help
you with compassion and without condemnation.
Roe v. Wade has left a trail of broken hearts. Through Project Rachel and
other ministries, we will continue to help the broken-hearted. Those who resort
to abortion out of a sense of desperation often find the cruel reality of
abortion too difficult to bear. But it is too difficult only in a world without
God and therefore without hope. We must reach these hearts and give them hope.
These are the converted hearts that will at last bring an end to abortion.
Roe v. Wade cannot stand as the law of this great nation, a nation founded on
the self-evident truth that all people are created with an inalienable right to
life. We are committed, no matter how long it may take, no matter the sacrifices
required, to bringing about a reversal of this tragic Supreme Court decision. We
will speak out on behalf of the sanctity of each and every human life wherever
it is threatened, from conception to natural death, and we urge all people of
good will to do likewise. For, as Pope John Paul II reminds us, "it is
impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the
right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are
founded and from which they develop" (The Gospel of Life, no. 101). Roe v. Wade
must be reversed.
________________
1 Those under thirty support greater protection for life in larger numbers
than almost any other age group. In recent Gallup polls, major restrictions on
abortion were supported by 55% of adults under 30 years old – a higher figure
than for any age group except those aged 65 and over. See L. Saad, "Public
Opinion About Abortion – An In-Depth Review," at www.gallup.com.
2 Roe said that states must allow post-viability abortions when they are
needed to preserve the mother's health. Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) at
163-4. Doe then defined "health" to include "all factors – physical, emotional,
psychological, familial, and the woman's age – relevant to the well being of the
patient." Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179 (1973) at 192.
3 In a July 2000 CBS/New York Times poll, 40% of Americans supported stricter
limits on abortion and another 22% said it should not be permitted at all. See
L. Saad, note 1 supra.
4 Alan Guttmacher Institute, Facts in Brief: Induced Abortion,
www.agi-usa.org/pubs/fb_induced _abortion.html.
5 Id., The Limitations of U.S. Statistics on Abortion,
www.guttmacher.org/pubs/ib14.html; University of Wisconsin Medical School,
"Chances for Survival,"
www.pediatrics.wisc.edu/childrenshosp/parents_of_preemies/survival.html.
6 See note 4 supra.
7 Gallup says that "prior to 1996, Americans were more likely to call
themselves pro-choice than they are today"; in Gallup's August 2001 poll,
"pro-life" respondents matched those calling themselves "pro-choice" (46% vs.
46%). See L. Saad, note 1 supra.
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