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THE U.P. CATHOLIC
May 27, 2022
3
(USPS 916-360 ISSN 10634525)
THE U.P. CATHOLIC
The Newspaper of the Diocese of Marquette Publisher: Most Rev. John F. Doerfler Editor: John Fee Assistant Editor: Hattie Hanold Advertising Manager: Deacon Stephen Gretzinger Administrative Assistant: Sara Shusta
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Defense of life, support of mothers didn't end with Roe - and it won't end with Dobbs
T
he U.S. Supreme Court could rule to over- turn Roe v. Wade. Or it might not. That was true before, and after, a draft decision in the current Dobbs case before the court recently broke out into the public. But what we know - and have known - is regardless of what happens next, the mission to ensure legal protec- tion of the unborn and to build up a culture of sup- port for mothers and children remains unfinished. That is very much the case here in Michigan, even if we are one of few states with legal protection against abortion already in place before Roe. That century-old law against abortion is under attack, even before a possible draft decision in Dobbs leaked. The state legislature in 1931 approved a law to criminalize abortion except in cases to save the mothers life. The law does not target women who undergo an abortion, but rather medical professionals or others who seek to take the lives of the unborn. The 1931 law was an update to an older statute from 1846 prohibiting abortion. This law has sat on the books since then, even after the U.S. Supreme Court guaranteed nationwide access to abortion in the 1973 Roe ruling. But in recent weeks, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Planned Parenthood have launched a legal effort to strike down Michigan's law protecting the unborn. Because of this, Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) has joined with Right to Life (RTL) of Michi- gan to step in and defend the state ban on abortion, because the law needs someone to defend it. Planned Parenthood's suit was filed against Attorney General Nessel, who has said she will not fulfill her duty and defend the state law, nor will she allow anyone in her ice to do so from behind a conflict wall. Whitmer's similar suit was filed against several county prosecutors, and of those who belong to the same political party as the governor, they agree with her and will not fight the lawsuit. The multi-front legal maneuver is meant to get ahead of what the U.S. Supreme Court decides to do in Dobbs. Indeed, the leak of the draft Dobbs opinion that proposes to overturn Roe has prompt- ed Whitmer and Planned Parenthood to recommit their efforts to try to keep abortion legal here in Michigan. To provide counsel in these matters, MCC and RTL have retained a notable constitutional lawyer - John Bursch with Alliance Defending Freedom. He is the former solicitor general for the state of Michigan, has argued cases before both the U.S. and Michigan supreme courts, and is a proven legal defender of pro-life and religious freedom causes. But you may be asking yourself: What can I do? As always, it starts with prayer - for our elected icials, for the justices and judges involved in these cases, and especially those impacted by the tragic outcomes from abortion. We must continual- ly commend everything to the loving hands of our almighty God. But while legal landscapes for abortion may soon change, the goals remain the same - ensuring legal protection for the unborn and building up a sup- portive culture for mothers. Yet efforts to reach those goals must be renewed. As our U.S. bishops have called for, we must redouble our efforts to accompany women and couples who are facing unexpected or dicult preg- nancies, and during the early years of parenthood, offering them loving and compassionate care. The Church has been caring for women and children and will continue to do so. Now is the time to join those existing efforts, by supporting your local pregnancy resource center or Catholic charity agency, or by organizing an effort in your parish to assist in the development of a Walking with Moms in Need program in the parish. Even if Roe falls, legal protection for the unborn will not be realized everywhere. Thats where en- gaging in advocacy comes in: As faithful Catholics, your voices are crucial in reminding public icials they must work to build a society that protects all human life. One way to do that is to join our Catholic Advoca- cy Network, which keeps members informed of leg- islative matters and provides a platform for Cath- olics to directly contact elected icials and weigh in on issues of importance to the Church, such as protecting the right to life. To join, visit micatholic. org/can. Finally, there is one more way to help protect life: Planned Parenthood is also backing a petition drive to put a right to abortion in the state constitution, and thus wipe away Michigans laws protecting the unborn and their mothers. MCC is also fighting this petition, and we encour- age you to decline to sign these petitions if you see them, and make sure your friends and family dont sign them either. While efforts to allow abortion on demand will likely become more aggressive, prayers, legal efforts, and grassroots advocacy are needed more than ever to defend the unborn and women affected by the tragedy of abortion. Will you join us? The Word from Lansing is a regular column for Catholic news outlets and is provided by Michigan Catholic Conference, the icial public policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.
THE WORD FROM LANSING Paul A. Long
REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, THE MISSION TO ENSURE LEGAL PROTECTION OF THE UNBORN AND TO BUILD UP A CULTURE OF SUPPORT FOR MOTHERS AND CHILDREN REMAINS UNFINISHED.
Dcn. Brandon Yanni Holy Name of Mary, Soo Theology IV
We invite you to pray for vocations. Loving Father, Master of the harvest; Please send more laborers to work in your vineyard. Amen.
My vocation was influenced by Catholic apologists who were able to clearly and convincingly convey the truths of the faith.
www.dioceseofmarquette.org/vocations
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