Dobbs: Rejoice!…and then what?

We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision, including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly rely—the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment” Justice Alioto, Dobbs

This is one of those “where were you when…” moments in history. I was in bed, awakened by my phone alerting me to a message. Half asleep, I reached clumsily for my phone, and through bleary eyes, I read:

Sheilaaaaa!!! Woohooo! ♥ ♥ ♥

My befuddled response, uncharacteristic of me in both its brevity and lack of typos, was:

?

And with her response, the rejoicing began! Although, my gratitude might have been entirely overshadowed by a sense of dread over the tumultuous times ahead, but for my wise friend (thank you Ashley!). While sharing my concerns, she drew me into her joy, with the message to “take time to honor this momentous day!!”

Pondering that, I recalled my 16 year old self, when Roe v. Wade declared abortion a constitutional right. Soon after, I found myself sitting in the school courtyard, sharing lunch with a friend a couple years older than me, as she regaled me with stories of “free love” and her older “hippie” Big Sur boyfriend. If I am being honest, the young me was a bit in awe of her free spirit ways. Until the conversation turned to this new right to abortion—on that I was not the least confused. Despite my fear of exposing myself as young and naive to my worldly friend, I spoke up for life, and my belief that no circumstance could justify aborting one’s baby. It took me a little longer to see with that same clarity of conviction, that respecting the dignity of a life conceived is rooted in respecting the procreative and unitive nature of the act designed to create that life. This connection is the foundation of CANFP, my work for the last 40 years, and the commitment of many who are reading this. And now, here we are, June 24, 2022. I grieve the 63 million people martyred on the altar of judicial activism that created a right to abortion despite no constitutional foundation. My heart aches for the millions upon millions of wounded mothers, fathers, and families of those lost lives. With the fierceness of a mother, I want to protect our young from falling prey to the lie of “responsible sex”—the post-pill version of the free love mantra of my youth. I am indebted to the courageous Justices who fulfilled their duty in the Dobb’s decision, despite very real threats to their lives, and their families. This decision, while righting a wrong, does not resolve the issue, but is a call to action:

“On the question of abortion, the Constitution is, therefore, neither pro-life nor pro-choice. The Constitution is neutral and leaves the issue for the people and their elected representatives to resolve through the democratic process in the States or Congress—like the numerous other difficult questions of American social and economic policy that the Constitution does not address.”   Justice Kavanaugh (p. 125-126).

And so, here we are, in the belly of the beast if you will, our California Association of NFP. Surely, it is no coincidence that our state, where legal abortion preceded Roe v. Wade, and will likely continue post Dobbs, is also the only one with a state NFP association? I thought of so many who championed the dignity of life, and authentic sexuality, who did not live to see this day, when my son called and asked me: Did you hear? Did you ever think you would see this in your lifetime? For the record, I did not. Rejoice! In the words of St. Pope John Paul II:

“The Church is grateful to those who, with personal sacrifice and often unacknowledged dedication, devote themselves to the study and spread of these methods, as well to the promotion of education in the moral values which they presuppose” EV #97

And then….this call to action, as we move beyond rejoicing, to the task at hand:

“The challenge is to make the Church’s “yes” to Life concrete and effective. The struggle will be long, and it needs each one of you. Place your intelligence, your talents, your enthusiasm, your compassion and your fortitude at the service of life!”   St. Pope John Paul II, Homily on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1993

Sheila St. John has taught NFP in the Monterey Region since 1982, and serves as Executive Director of CANFP.