Response to U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs decision and overturn of Roe v. Wade

June 24, 2022

Diocese of Gaylord

The Most Reverend Jeffrey J. Walsh, bishop of Gaylord, has issued the following statement in response to today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturns Roe v. Wade:

“In God’s Providence, the Supreme Court decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson case was issued on the same day our Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Today’s scripture passage read at Mass, from Ezekiel 34:11-16, prophetically reveals the love of God in stating: ‘I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up …’ In light of abortion law being returned to the states and their democratically elected representatives, it should be our earnest desire to bind up the injuries inflicted from the unjust 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and move forward with the confident assurance of the Good Shepherd guiding us to greener pastures.

“May we together seize this moment and finally realize the tremendous harm done to our common sense and humanity to have legally sanctioned over 62 million abortions in the past 49 years. May we take to heart the wisdom expressed by Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta who said abortion is the ‘greatest destroyer of love and peace.’ Our prayers and efforts to build a culture of life have been heard and we rejoice. Knowing that the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was most profoundly expressed from the Cross, we must also be ready to forge our love from the cross of our polarized abortion politics. Misunderstandings, distortions and rejection did not stop our Lord from loving. Love casts out fear.”

Bishop Walsh joins his brother bishops from Michigan in issuing a further joint statement below, with a more extensive reflection on today’s historic Dobbs decision.

Catholic Bishops in Michigan Celebrate Life, Urge Support for Mothers in Need Following Dobbs Decision

Published by Michigan Catholic Conference | June 24, 2022

(Lansing, Mich.) — Following today’s momentous and historic ruling from the Supreme Court of the United States in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturns the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision — which to this day has resulted in the tragic loss of some 63 million unborn children nationally and more than 1.5 million children in Michigan — the eleven Catholic bishops in Michigan have released a statement that expresses joy with the Court’s majority opinion while reaffirming the Catholic Church’s compassion and support for mothers in need.

Nearly fifty years after the unjust decision in Roe v. Wade, our country draws closer to a society that recognizes the God-given right of life for all persons, at any stage or in any condition. While today’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturns Roe is a cause for joy, we must remember that life is and always will be a gift from our Creator; it cannot be given or taken by governmental structures, judges, or elected officials.

We are saddened by the fear and anger that has reverberated across our land since a draft of this opinion was leaked to the public. In light of these concerns, we wish to make clear that no woman should face pregnancy alone. With safe-delivery laws, adoption, pregnancy resource centers, and assistance from Catholic and other agencies that provide necessities for mom and baby, every pregnant woman should know there is a community of compassion and support waiting to help her and her unborn or infant child. We empathize with women who struggle with daily challenges that may affect their decision to carry their baby to term: financial insecurity, food insecurity, medical care, lack of relationship and/or family support, coercion, and homelessness, just to name a few.

The pro-life movement must redouble its efforts to ensure every woman has the support she needs throughout her pregnancy and beyond, whether she chooses to parent or create an adoption plan. We affirm that the Church must prioritize this work, through our Catholic Charities and parish-based support networks, to meet the physical needs of mothers and children as well as offer the emotional support and love new mothers need. We also implore men to be respectful of women and responsible when they father a child. We are all called to walk with moms in need, and we encourage all Michiganders to join us in this effort.

Today’s momentous decision would not have occurred without fifty years of prayer, action and witness from innumerable women and men who promote the sanctity of human life. These people of goodwill laid the foundation for a future of love, compassion, and support toward women and their unborn or newborn children. Though Roe is no longer relevant to abortion policy, we must remain vigilant against future attempts to promote abortion as help for women, which in reality are attacks on human life itself. Some of those attacks have already started here in Michigan through the legislative process, at the ballot box and in the court room, signaling that the work to build up a social order that respects human life is not finished.

Let us, as the Body of Christ here on Earth, pray for all pregnant women and continue to proclaim that human life is sacred from conception to natural death and at every point in between, and to commit ourselves to building a society grounded in that essential God-given right.