With a potentially historic U.S. Supreme Court decision on abortion expected this summer, pro-lifers will gather in Hartford on Wednesday, March 23 for the first March for Life CT.
At issue is a Mississippi law that prohibits abortion after 15 weeks with some exceptions. Many analysts believe the court ruling on the case could result in a reversal of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion and return the issue to the states.
The March is sponsored by the Connecticut Catholic Conference and the Family Institute of Connecticut.
While CCC Executive Director Christopher Healy cautions pro-lifers to “keep their powder dry,” he also said, “This is the most encouraged I have been in quite some time that there could be some genuine progress on the abortion issue.”
Related: The Connecticut March for Life is Coming to Hartford
Connecticut is far behind many other states when it comes to passing laws to protect unborn children. Pro-life leaders in the state believe a positive Supreme Court decision could help energize advocates for the big battles ahead.
Healy says the march is necessary because it is critical for Catholics to “proclaim the sanctity and intrinsic value of every human life in the public arena.”
Father Walter Nagle, the director of pro-life activities for the Diocese of Norwich, agrees. He added that prayer must be part of our public witness.
“First of all, prayer enlarges our hearts, making us more sensitive to the plight of unborn children,” he said. But beyond that, he added, “Prayer can also heal the culture, changing the hearts of those who provide abortion and politicians who support it.”
Father Nagle and Healy agree that there is a lot of work to do in Connecticut to pass laws that support a culture of life.
They said parental notification should be at the top of the agenda. Right now, in Connecticut, a teenage girl can get an abortion without her parents even knowing about it.
Besides supporting pro-life laws, Nagle said Catholics need to increase their outreach to women with troubled pregnancies, adding, “We must be walking with mothers in need, so they don’t fall through the cracks.”
Another top pro-life issue is assisted suicide, which has gradually been making progress through the last few legislative sessions.
Healy said assisted suicide represents a severe threat to the dignity of the human person on the other end of the life spectrum from abortion. Other pro-life issues the CCC is looking at include adoption tax credits and support for migrants.
The march will be an ecumenical event with many other Christian groups participating.
By Garry Beausoleil
Related: Send Us Your CT March for Life Photos