Statement
2019 Statement on the Anniversary of Roe vs Wade
Statement on the Anniversary of Roe vs Wade by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, Chairman, USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, January 18, 2019
This statement affirms the pro-life ethic as a call to uphold the sacredness and dignity of every human person across the entire life spectrum.
- Abortion is described as the pre-eminent human rights issue due to the magnitude of lives lost and its direct harm to the sanctuary of life: the family.
- It emphasizes that abortion harms both unborn children and parents, and that the well-being of mother, father, and child are inseparably linked, not in competition.
The Church’s concern extends to any threat to human life or dignity, including poverty, racism, religious intolerance, refugees and immigrants, victims of violent crime and people in prison, persons with disabilities and the elderly, and law enforcement officers and victims of police brutality.
The statement also acknowledges the deep pain caused by sexual misconduct by clergy and failures by Church leadership, noting that such abuse gravely violates the pro-life ethic and undermines the Church's broader ministry. As Catholics, we are called to seek justice for all God's children, be witnesses of merciful love, and remind others, in word and action, of their God-given dignity from conception onward.