WASHINGTON, D.C. — Four years after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Catholic bishops and pro-life leaders are reflecting on the impact of the historic Dobbs ruling, citing progress in protecting unborn children while raising concerns about the increasing availability of chemical abortions.
In a statement released on the anniversary of the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, praised the ruling as a historic turning point while urging Catholics to remain engaged in the pro-life cause.
"On this Anniversary of the Dobbs decision, we praise God for the historic overturning of Roe v. Wade," Bishop Thomas said. "And we beg the intercession of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in building a culture of life."
Dobbs overturned Roe and eliminated federal constitutional protection for abortion, shifting authority back to the states. Since then, any laws restricting or expanding abortion have been carried out by the individual states.
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, recalled learning of the decision while standing outside the Supreme Court.
"As the opinion was put into my hand, I started reading it, and it said, 'The Constitution does not confer the right to abortion. Roe and Casey are overruled," Hawkins spoke during an interview with EWTN News Nightly. "This decision that came down four years ago today gave states and gave legislators across the country … the ability to regulate or end abortion."
Hawkins described the post-Dobbs landscape as a new phase in the pro-life movement's efforts, with legislative battles now taking place in state capitals across the nation.
"The decision of abortion is now returned to the people and their representatives," she said. "We have 51 playing fields in our country where we're attempting every single day to pass laws to either outright end abortion or to severely restrict abortion."
Abortion pills emerge as a flashpoint
Several pro-life leaders criticized leaving abortion policies entirely in the hands of the states, arguing that abortion regulations should also come from the federal level.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told reporters in a June 23 press call with Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of FAMiLY Leader, an Iowa-based evangelical political advocacy organization "that whole state's-only experiment is a failure. It has been tried and failed."
Dannenfelser said permissive abortion pill policies in states such as California and New York are undermining pro-life laws elsewhere, allowing abortion drugs to be shipped across state lines into states that have enacted abortion restrictions.
"Now, 15,000 children a month are dying in pro-life states. That is the definition of failure," she said.
"We used to say there's going to be abortion destination places," Vander Plaats said. "In Iowa, we were concerned about a state like Illinois being an abortion destination. Now the abortion destination is in your mailbox."
Both the bishops and pro-life advocates raised growing use of chemical abortion drugs as a concern.
"Now with easier access to abortion pills, the abortion rate is tragically climbing. The victory of the Dobbs decision risks being undone by the massive influx of abortion pills," Bishop Thomas said in the statement.
Pro-life leaders said changes made by federal regulators have enabled abortion pills to be prescribed through telehealth appointments and distributed through pharmacies and the mail, despite restrictions enacted by pro-life states.
Hawkins likewise criticized the federal government's handling of abortion pills and called for further action from the Trump administration.
"While we're excited and we're still celebrating the win of Roe being reversed, something that many people told us was impossible, we have not won the war," she said.
"We're going to be celebrating the victory of the Dobbs decision. And we're going to be praying for our future success to see abortion completely abolished in our land," Hawkins said.
Catholics urged to pray and take action
Looking ahead, the USCCB is encouraging Catholics to participate in a national prayer and advocacy effort that will run from mid-August through October's Respect Life Month. Bishop Thomas urged the faithful to pray for women facing unplanned pregnancies, share information about abortion pills, and advocate for policies that protect both mothers and unborn children.
