The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston applauds the Supreme Court’s decision today in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. While this decision will offer greater protection for the unborn in some parts of the country, we call upon Catholics throughout the diocese to continue to foster a genuine respect for all human life throughout our country.
Now more than ever, we must show our fellow citizens that we are both pro-child and pro-woman. The diocese continues to offer positive help to pregnant women in our state. We have outreach centers for pregnant women, counseling services to help women respect and cherish their unborn child, and outreach centers that provide parenting classes, baby clothes, diapers, and formula for mothers in need.
But our work is certainly not done. We must continue to strive to foster a culture of life in our society. We must strive ever more ardently to respect all life, from conception to natural death. This respect cannot be just for babies in the womb and their mothers. So too must we respect children in schools, those who attend churches, even those who just go to grocery stores to buy food—that they may do these things without threat of violence against them. We must show our respect for all life by working to drive out racism and gun violence from our midst.
Every life is a gift from God. Every life is precious and deserves our respect and help. I call on all West Virginia residents to work together toward fostering a culture of life in the Mountain State.
Mark E. Brennan
Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston
