Conservative Christians marched and strategized for almost 50 years. The day they had hoped for finally arrived on a Friday morning in June.
It took decades of campaigning to end the constitutional right to abortion and overturn Roe v. Wade. The culmination of potlucks at church gymnasiums and prayers in Oval Office. It was the moment they had been waiting for, the realization many denied was possible, the sign that America was changing.
For many conservative believers and anti-abortion groups grounded in Catholic or evangelical principles, the Supreme Court’s decision was not just a political victory but a spiritual one.
“It is more than celebration,” said Archbishop William E. Lori, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities. “It is a moment of gratitude to the Lord, and gratitude to so many people, in the church and beyond the church, who have worked and prayed so hard for this day to come.”
Even the timing of the decision had a spiritual undertone. It was made on the same day Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This is a celebration of the love of Jesus towards the world. It gave people “the opportunity to expand our hearts in love” for people at all stages of life, from before birth through death, Archbishop Lori said.
At midday Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, there was a buzz of excitement as parishioners and priests expressed joy at the ruling that came one hour earlier.
“In case you haven’t heard the news, the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade,” said the Rev. Enrique Salvo is the cathedral’s rector. This cathedral is home to the powerful Roman Catholic Archdiocese New York. One man, seated in the pews, pumped his fist into the air.
The joy felt in sanctuaries, homes, and churches was strikingly different from the protests of many supporters of abortion rights who were outraged by this ruling. Waving signs and using megaphones, they said that conservatives were imposing their religious beliefs on the country and women’s bodies.
Many Catholics and Protestants are supportive of abortion rights. However, the Catholic Church has spent decades leading the anti-abortion movement.
“When you choose the opposite of life, you choose the opposite of love,” Father Salvo said during his homily. “And we must always choose love.”
The turning point for America was “just a phenomenal work of the Lord,” said Margaret H. Hartshorn, the chairman of the board of Heartbeat International, a network of anti-abortion pregnancy centers. She thought back to how far the movement has progressed since Jan. 22, 1973, when the court legalized abortion nationwide. She also considered where it could go.
“I believe God will use this to help us to build a greater culture of life, that in 50 years no woman will ever consider abortion,” she said.
Many felt the moment’s significance was very personal. Bart Barber, who was elected president of Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, Texas, thought about his adopted children, now 16 and 19.
“Because of the joy I have in watching them grow into adulthood and make a difference, I cannot help but feel joy for all of the other babies who will have that opportunity now,” he said.
For him, it was also a time of mourning and of resolve.
“At this moment we realize the enormous toll of babies’ lives lost,” he said. “Abortion is still legal in many states, and we have work before us to bring about justice and protection for pre-born babies in those jurisdictions.”
Penny Nance (president of Concerned Women for America), said that Friday was surreal. Since a draft opinion signaling the decision’s release last month, women from her organization, as well as others like Students for Life, have been gathering to pray regularly.
“A grievous wrong was righted,” she said. “I feel such incredible and deep gratitude, first to God, that I got to live to see this moment.”
David Bereit, co-founder of 40 Days for Life, a grassroots faith-based effort that includes prayer and fasting campaigns to end the abortion, couldn’t stop crying. He and his family traveled the globe for years in support of the cause.
“When you invest a good chunk of your life into something, when you have been disappointed, let down, discouraged so many times,” he said, “it seems like an answer to prayer.”
John Seago (the legislative director of Texas Right to Life), recalls that the movement had been close to overturning Roe repeatedly. The group was pushing the Texas law banning abortion after six weeks. So, until he actually saw it, he didn’t dare believe that it was really real.
His group will now focus on ensuring that abortion bans are followed, he stated, especially since some district attorneys had already refused to enforce them. “This is a phenomenal moment for the pro-life movement that has been working toward this ruling for 50 years,” he said.
Staff members from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America gathered at their headquarters in northern Virginia for a champagne toast on Friday evening. They shared stories of how they received celebratory text messages and answered prayers that seemed miraculous. For many, this achievement marked their life’s work. Others felt it was a new beginning.
“This moment is about redeeming the past and moving into the future,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, the group’s president, said. The significance of the day was immense.
“It’s really hard to get your mind around the idea that eventually millions of lives, branches of family trees will occur that would not have occurred,” she said. “The only way I can do it is to think of one. It is worth a whole life to save the life of another person.”
Liam StackContributed reporting
Source: NY Times