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As the third anniversary of the Supreme Court‘s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision approaches, the US bishops are urging Catholics to continue advocating for the protection of the unborn.
Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, who chairs the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, called on the faithful to remain actively engaged in the public square.
“I urge all Catholics to engage their elected officials on all issues that threaten the gift of human life, in particular the threat of abortion,” he said in a statement ahead of the June 24 anniversary of the ruling.
The Dobbs ruling, issued in 2022, overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the authority to regulate abortion to individual states. Bishop Thomas said that this decision created new opportunities for the pro-life movement.
“The Dobbs decision not only gave states the freedom to protect preborn children but also paved the way for pro-life victories nationally,” he said. “The federal government is now closer than ever to defunding Planned Parenthood and other organizations whose abortion profiteering harms women and babies.”
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However, the bishop also noted that the post-Dobbs legal landscape remains mixed.
“We know that several states have enacted extreme pro-abortion policies, overriding existing pro-life safeguards, with some states leaving children vulnerable to abortion even up to birth,” he noted. “Despite the good that Dobbs decision accomplished, the battle for life is far from over.”
Bishop Thomas also pointed to efforts that support women and promote healing, citing initiatives such as Walking with Moms in Need and Project Rachel as examples of how Catholic communities can accompany women in crisis and extend Christ’s mercy to those affected by abortion.
