Florida's Catholic Bishops on Roe v. Wade Anniversary: Abortion 'Modern Day Slaughter of Innocents'

The bishops of Florida's seven Catholic dioceses have issued a statementdecrying the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that imposed legal abortion on state governments. The anniversary falls on Jan. 22.

"This Supreme Court decision denied American citizens the legal authority to protect the basic rights of an entire class of human beings, effectively making abortions lawful at any time before birth," the bishops say. "We are saddened by a culture that devalues the life of an unborn child, and considers fertility a 'disease' and pregnancy a 'pathology.' Catholic teaching on life is supported by science and reason: unborn children are human beings and abortion hurts women and men. No human being should be discriminated against or suffer the loss of life because of their stage of development."

The bishops warn of the"lifelong consequences, such as depression, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts," which they say many parents suffer after having consented to an abortion, and fault theso-called "sexual revolution" of the 1960s to '80s for "separating the link between sexual activity and procreation," which they say has denigrated respect for the sanctity of life and the integrity of the family.

The bishops note that abortions have decreased by 20 percent in Florida since 2006, a "sign of hope" they attribute to "action on many fronts: laws requiring an ultrasound prior to an abortion; the prayers of people outside abortion clinics and the growing numbers of pregnancy centers offering counseling and assistance to pregnant women, rescuing them from a life of regret."

The bishops conclude their statement by insisting that "abortion is not a settled issue in America," and committing the Catholic Church in the Sunshine State to "continue to support pregnant women and their children, and work and pray to bring to an end this modern day 'slaughter of the innocents.'"

The bishops' complete statement can be found on a website they have devoted to the Roe v. Wade anniversary:"40 Years of Defending Life"