Anti-Catholicism, SCOTUS, and Abortion

Last updated on: August 16, 2022 at 5:36 pm by Dennis Knapp

Anti-Catholicism, SCOTUS, and Abortion 2022-08-16T17:36:45-06:00 Dennis Knapp

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Anti-Catholicism is not new to the United States. America has a long history of anti-Catholic rhetoric dating back centuries. Today, anti-Catholicism again rears its ugly head. Catholic Churches across the US are poised to be set upon by pro-abortion activists. The target? Catholic moms on Mother’s Day.

Whether you’re a “Catholic for Choice”, ex-Catholic, of other or no faith, recognize that six extremist Catholics set out to overturn Roe. Stand at or in a local Catholic Church Sun May 8. #WarOnWomen #MothersDayStrike (Ruth Sent Us via Twitter May 3rd, 2022)

These activists see Catholic dogma as living too “loudly within” four of the five justices in the majority opinion recently leaked. Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh are conservative Catholics, therefore the Church is held to account. What dogma you say? The dogma that life begins at conception and is therefore sacred.

With Roe v. Wade Gone States Now Decide

Sadly, when the Supreme Court issues the final opinion, and (hopefully) strikes down Roe v. Wade, abortion will not disappear from American life. To sum the majority opinion: the right to an abortion is not found in the US Constitution, therefore it now up to states to decide per the 10th Amendment if abortion remains legal or not. This means that Democrat controlled states, like California, will have extremely permissive abortion laws. Conversely, Republican controlled states, like Texas, will outlaw abortion or extremely limit its access. The death of Roe v. Wade does not mean the death of abortion in America. Not once in the majority opinion are the four Catholic justices’ Catholic faith referenced in their decision, just the Constitution.

Conservative Catholic and Therefore Pro-Life

Moreover, anti-Catholic pro-abortion activists assume the four justices mentioned above, appointed by conservative Republican presidents, are conservative Catholics and therefore pro-life. Now, as a conservative Catholic who is pro-life, I hope this is the case. I hope those who claim the name Catholic faithfully and consistently live it. I consider any Catholic who supports abortion rights as in direct opposition to Church teaching, especially Catholic politicians. The call to faithfulness and holiness belongs to all Catholics.

**Conservative Pro-Life Catholic or Originalist?**

The issue here is that none of the Catholic justices referenced their Catholic faith in the leaked opinion. The majority opinion reflects their interpretation of the Constitution, not the Catholic Catechism. The four Catholic justices (and Neil Gorsuch) are originalist when interpreting the Constitution. This means that those in the majority opinion read the Constitution as originally written. No regard to how things have changed in America since then enters the equation. Therefore, since the Constitution nowhere grants the right to an abortion, the Supreme Court has no authority to grant that right. Furthermore, where the Constitution is silent, the states and their representatives determine the law per the 10th Amendment to the Constitution.

Guilt by Association with the Catholic Church

Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Neil Gorsuch are guilty by association with the Catholic Church in the leaked opinion draft because the Catholic Church remain staunchly pro-life. The Catholic Church is against abortion, so all those who voted to overturn it did so because they too are Catholic (for the record, Neil Gorsuch is an Episcopalian). Pro-abortion activists’ logic is faulty (as usual) regarding the majority opinion, but all faithful Catholics should take comfort in the implications of such faulty reasoning. Our Church stands for life from conception to natural death. Enemies of life view decisions to protect life as an unacceptable overreach of the Catholic Church if those who make such decisions are Catholic. Let’s pray that the demise of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court leads to its complete banishment from the Unites States.

This is the next battle to win.

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