By Tyler Arnold
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 /
15:47 pm
Three years after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs decision, American Catholic bishops are celebrating the anniversary of the pro-life victory but also reminding the faithful that more work is needed to foster a culture of life.
“Despite the good that Dobbs decision accomplished, the battle for life is far from over,” Bishop Daniel Thomas, the chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-life Activities, said in a June 24 statement.
“I urge all Catholics to engage their elected officials on all issues that threaten the gift of human life, in particular the threat of abortion,” Thomas said.
Thomas noted that the Supreme Court’s decision on June 24, 2022, “ended nearly 50 years of virtually unlimited, nationwide abortion,” adding that “hope had never been lost in God’s power to right that wrong and accomplish what the world believed to be impossible.”
From 1973 until 2022, the Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to obtain an abortion and prevented states from enacting pro-life protections for the unborn. Overturning that decision now allows both the states — and the federal government — to restrict or even prohibit abortion through legislation.
Thomas wrote that the decision also “paved the way for pro-life victories nationally,” pointing out that Congress is currently considering language in the budget bill to end federal Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements for Planned Parenthood and “other organizations whose abortion profiteering harms women and babies.”
As the Church celebrates the Jubilee Year of Hope throughout 2025, the bishop reminded Catholic parishes to continue efforts that “welcome, embrace, and accompany women facing unexpected or challenging pregnancies” and to share “Christ’s message of mercy with all who are suffering in the aftermath of an abortion.” He referenced two initiatives: Walking with Moms in Need and Project Rachel.
“As we move forward in hope, may we be united in our efforts to protect God’s gift of life, in every stage and circumstance,” Thomas concluded.
Arlington, Virginia, Bishop Michael Burbidge — a consultant to the USCCB’s pro-life committee and its former chair — in a June 24 statement similarly celebrated the anniversary as a “deliverance from the injustice” of Roe but also cautioned that “the tragic effects of Roe remain.”
“Abortion and other violations of human dignity continue to threaten the sanctity of life of millions of our brothers and sisters,” Burbidge said. “We pray and work for the day that American law truly upholds equal justice for all, which includes equal protection of the law for every member of the human family.”
Several states have adopted amendments to their state constitutions to establish a right to abortion after the Supreme Court decision, and there is currently an effort in Virginia to do the same.
“All Catholics in the Diocese of Arlington and others of goodwill are morally responsible for peaceful advocacy, virtuous political engagement, and fervent prayer that may save our Commonwealth from the social injustice of abortion,” Burbidge said. “If abortion is ever enshrined in Virginia’s constitution, we must humbly ask God for the courage, prudence, and wisdom necessary to overcome such an injustice by his amazing grace.”
Pro-life battles ahead
In the three years since Dobbs, 12 states have enacted laws prohibiting nearly all abortions and another seven states have put restrictions on abortion, outlawing the procedure at an earlier stage in pregnancy than Roe allowed.
Alternatively, some states have eased rules about abortion, with nearly a dozen adopting amendments to their state constitutions establishing a legal right to abortion.
House and Senate Democrats held news conferences on the third anniversary of the Dobbs decision to convey their support for legislation that would legalize abortion nationwide and override state-level pro-life laws. Previous federal legislative efforts have been unsuccessful amid Republican opposition.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said during a news conference that “today marks a grim anniversary” and said Senate Democrats “will continue to stand together and fight back against Republicans in every single way” with efforts to legalize abortion nationwide and halt efforts to strip funding from Planned Parenthood.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries similarly called the 2022 decision “one of the most unconscionable and un-American decisions in the history of the United States of America” and said House Democrats “are here to fight back” with legislation to legalize abortion nationwide and other efforts.
Many pro-life organizations remain active on the state and federal level as these legislative battles over abortion continue. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA), a national pro-life organization, held a news conference the day before the anniversary to discuss the ongoing efforts.
“If you’d been living a couple of decades ago, you would never have predicted that anything close would come to where we sit right now, celebrating the overturn of Roe and the potential defunding of Planned Parenthood and the rest of the big abortion lobby,” SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser said during the news conference on June 23.
Dannenfelser highlighted many of the state-level wins but noted that most states still allow abortion until the point of viability and several states permit abortion until the moment of birth for any reason. She said SBA field teams are supporting pro-life candidates in several swing states for the midterm elections.
“A human rights movement needs teeth,” Dannenfelser added. “It needs ground game. It needs to win elections.”
Tyler Arnold is a staff reporter for Catholic News Agency, based in EWTN News’ Washington Bureau. He previously worked at The Center Square and has been published in a variety of outlets, including The Associated Press, National Review, The American Conservative, and The Federalist.
