June 24 marks the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court of the United States’ ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case that overturned the nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion across the country.
When the Dobbs decision was announced, Cleveland Bishop Edward Malesic said he wholeheartedly applauded the decision that reversed what he called “the grave injustice of 1973, when Roe v. Wade decided that a whole class of human beings, the preborn, are outside the protection of the law and had no constitutional right to life. Since that decision, more than 60 million innocent lives have been sadly ended. Now that Roe is overturned, states will again be able to protect the lives of preborn children and in doing so, also protect millions of women from the tragic consequences of abortion.”
Arlington, Virginia Bishop Michael Burbidge, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement on the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision. He noted that while there is much to celebrate, “this is not the end, but the beginning of a critical new phase in our efforts to protect human life. Despite this momentous legal victory, sobering and varied challenges lie ahead of us.” Read Bishop Burbidge’s entire statement here.
In the ensuing year, there has been a flurry of legal activity to both support the right to life and conversely, to retain access to abortion. In Ohio, a constitutional amendment that would guarantee access to abortion is scheduled to appear on the Nov. 7 ballot. The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland is among the faith-based entities working to ensure the issue is defeated.
“We must spread the word that Ohio is facing a proposed amendment for the upcoming November election that intends to instill an unregulated and unrestricted ‘right to abortion’ into our state constitution,” said Mary von Carlowitz, director of the diocesan Office for Human Life. “This unprecedented and historical measure would threaten parental rights as well as the health and safety of women in Ohio by allowing for late term abortions.”
Von Carlowitz said Ohio is among the states where lawmakers worked to ensure that the right to life was protected, even at its earliest stage. She encourages everyone to “pray ceaselessly, educate everyone about the ballot issue, and offer opportunities to register voters so we can defeat this proposed abortion amendment in November.”
A “Protect Women Ohio” (also referred to as "Protect Them Both) campaign was launched in the diocese to help raise the awareness of all Catholics about the proposed ballot issue, “Ohio Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative.” The campaign was created in conjunction with the Catholic Conference of Ohio, the state’s bishops’ conference, which is the official voice of the Church in Ohio on matters of public policy. The Catholic Conference offers information and resources about the ballot issue.
“In phase two of our campaign to ‘Protect Women Ohio ('Protect Them Both'),’ our diocese intends to spread the message of equality for the unborn to all parish communities, schools, organizations and ministries through increased and intensive education, marketing and voter registration campaigns. We must be willing to do whatever it takes to ‘build a civilization of love by upholding the sacredness of life, preserving parental rights and accompanying pregnant women in need,’” von Carlowitz said.
“We are concerned because this ballot issue puts women at risk, endangers preborn children and enables those who pressure women into abortions. Our diocesan plan to oppose the proposed Ohio constitutional amendment that would support legalized abortion beyond the current prohibition beyond the six-week – or heartbeat – marker will continue to increase with voter registrations offered at several parishes and the increased awareness of the essential need to vote ‘no’ in the November election,” she added.
There is much information about the amendment and how Catholics and others who support the right to life from conception to its natural end can work to defeat this issue available on a special page within the Office for Human Life website.
Von Carlowitz said her office continues working to ensure that multiple resources are available within parish communities, schools and organizations – including all pastors, pastorals staffs, educators, catechists, those in ministry and the faithful in the diocese – to provide information about the ballot issue.
“We hope this information will illuminate the issue so that we can defeat the threat to the right to life which is centrifugal to our inherent dignity as human beings made in the image and likeness of God,” she said.
In May, all parishes received educational flyers and prayer cards produced by the Catholic Conference, in collaboration with the Office for Human Life and with the support and approval of all Ohio Catholic bishops.
The diocese continues to offer a support network and many programs to aid women dealing with unexpected pregnancies, von Carlowitz said, as well as expanding access to a variety of ministries that help women and families before, during and after the birth of a baby.
“Our ministry is to educate and inspire people throughout the diocese and beyond to be good stewards of the gift of life that God has given us,” Von Carlowitz said. “Through prayer, education and pastoral care, we uphold and promote the consistent ethic of life from conception until natural death. This ethic of life is the thread that unites all efforts to uphold the dignity of life at all stages of existence.”
She said her office is ready to assist anyone experiencing feelings of crisis because of an unexpected pregnancy who may not know where to get help. There is a link to resources for moms in need and an option line phone number, 800-712-4357. Another number, 216-902-1303, offers practical support for pregnancy and parenting. The Office for Human Life web page also offers resources for women who are suffering after an abortion.