Statement by Bishop George Leo Thomas, Ph.D. of the Diocese of Las Vegas on Supreme Court ruling Dob

In God’s eyes, all human life is sacred. God has a plan for every person – every mother, and every pre-born child. The Church believes in the sacredness of human life, beginning at conception until natural death. Every child born and unborn has the right to life.

As Mother Theresa so eloquently wrote, ‘Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government.’ Nor should the fundamental right to life be extinguished by the government. The right to life should not depend upon, and cannot be contingent upon, anyone else - not even a parent. They are every human being’s entitlement by virtue of his or her humanity.

With the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, the Supreme Court has undone 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.

Since that decision, more than 60 million innocent lives have been taken. As 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 emotional and spiritual consequences of abortion.

In the words of Archbishop Jose Gomez, President of the USCCB, “Now is the time to begin the work of building a post-Roe America. It is a time for healing wounds and repairing social divisions; it is a time for reasoned reflection and civil dialogue, and for coming together to build a society and economy that supports marriages and families, and where every woman has the support and resources she needs to bring her child into this world in love.”

In Las Vegas, the Respect Life ministry provides support from conception to natural death with pastoral care and outreach, adoption services and natural family planning. To those who have procured an abortion in the past or are contemplating one, our opposition to abortion is not an opposition to you. We at the Diocese of Las Vegas stand ready to embrace you in love, charity, and compassion.”

More information on the Respect Life Ministry of the Catholic Church in the United States and the Church’s position on Dobb’s v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling can be found by visiting the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s website at www.usccb.org. Read original statement.