June 24, 2022
Today the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. This decision corrects a tragic wrong in our federal jurisprudence that has permitted the killing of millions of innocent human beings. In Wisconsin alone, approximately 600,000 unique lives were taken, each created in God’s image and loved for all eternity.
While relieved that an inhumane and unjust right to abortion has been struck down, we know well that many of Wisconsin’s pregnant and parenting women face grave challenges. It is for this reason that our prayers and our work to protect every human life must increase.
The Catholic Church in Wisconsin is redoubling its efforts to care for women and their children. Already, Catholic health care, Catholic Charities, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Knights of Columbus, pregnancy help centers, food pantries, and thousands of volunteers serve women and children in need. Catholic adoption agencies help mothers find forever families of their choosing for their newborns. Project Rachel Ministry provides confidential and compassionate healing to those who grieve past abortions. In addition to these long-standing ministries, the Church’s new initiative, Walking with Moms in Need, connects pregnant and parenting women with parishioners so that mothers receive the material, emotional, and spiritual support they deserve and desire.
Though these ministries are necessary, they are not sufficient. We must change our social and economic structures so that no woman is pitted against her unborn child and every woman is empowered to pursue education, employment, and parenting, if she so chooses.
Through our public policy voice, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, we will continue to support laws that protect unborn children, support marriage and family, expand care for women and children – including postpartum, mental health, and substance use treatment – and increase access to childcare, affordable housing, employment training, and nutrition assistance. We will persist in calling for increases to the Earned Income Tax Credit and for the creation of a state adoption tax credit. Finally, we will work with all people of good will to identify and promote new protections for human life at every stage.
Now is the time to come together to heal our social divisions and ensure that every human being is treated with the utmost tenderness, dignity, and respect.
Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki, Archbishop of Milwaukee
Most Reverend Donald J. Hying, Bishop of Madison
Most Reverend David L. Ricken, Bishop of Green Bay
Most Reverend William P. Callahan, OFM Conv., Bishop of La Crosse
Most Reverend James P. Powers, Bishop of Superior