Dear Christ & St. Luke’s,
As I’m sure all of you are aware, yesterday the Supreme Court officially released their opinion in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which effectively overturned a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion as recognized in the 1973 court decision, Roe v. Wade.
To have such an established precedent that deals with such a personal issue overturned comes as a shock, even if we had been led to expect it from recent news releases. Whatever disagreements we might have on this decision, I hope we can hold our differences from a fundamental place of love, peacefulness, and respect which are the markers of our Christian faith.
Abortion has long been a hot topic within faith communities and you may want more information regarding where the Episcopal Church stands. Befitting the nuanced nature of this issue, The Episcopal Church teaches that while all human life is sacred, it unequivocally opposes “any legislation on the part of the national or state governments which would abridge or deny the right of individuals to reach informed decisions [about the termination of pregnancy] and to act upon them.”
This position was originally stated in 1967 and reasserted as recently as the 2018 General Convention and remains the Church’s stance in the wake of yesterday’s decision as you can see from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s statement which can be read here.
As you process your own personal response to yesterday’s news, I want to reiterate that I am available for pastoral conversation and counsel should you wish to share your reaction or your story. These conversations are always held in complete confidentiality and without judgement.
I look forward to being with you tomorrow for worship, where we bring all of our selves, our joys and our pains, our fears and our hopes, and place them in the arms of our loving Lord. And I hope you will all join me in praying for the people of this land, especially those whose lives will be impacted most dramatically and most directly by this decision.
In the peace of Christ,
Fr. Noah
