NEW YORK – In a message ahead of the 52nd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationwide, Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo has assured parents who have had an abortion of God’s love and encouraged the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
“To the parents of children who have died by abortion, I am deeply sorry for your loss,” Thomas, the chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities said in a Jan. 13 statement. “Know that our Lord loves you as His daughters and sons no matter your actions. No sin is beyond His unfathomable Mercy.”
“Jesus greatly desires our repentant hearts and invites us into an encounter with Him,” Thomas continued. “For Catholics, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is always available for those seeking God’s forgiveness, hope, and peace.”
The Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision was made on Jan. 22, 1973, and lasted 49 years until the Supreme Court overruled it in 2022 in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which sent abortion law back to the states.
Thomas said Jan. 22 is a day of prayer and penance for Catholics in the United States. He said going forward, as Catholics continue to work to restore “full legal protection of all preborn children and supporting parents facing difficult pregnancies,” they must also recognize the need to ask for forgiveness and for “healing from the Lord when we have given in to the culture of death.”
Thomas also said Catholics must recognize the “often-silent grief” parents who have had abortions face.
“Abortion inflicts deep and lasting wounds on society, but more directly on individuals and families,” Thomas said. “Many mothers and fathers may feel they have no choice except abortion. Some are pressured or coerced.”
“No matter the circumstances of the abortion, we must recognize the often-silent grief of parents for their child and their despair of being worthy of the love and forgiveness of God and others,” he said.
Thomas also noted the theme of Jubilee Year 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope – and Pope Francis’s invitation to experience God’s love “that awakens in hearts the sure hope of salvation of Christ.” He continues that hope is essential, as it allows those who have been involved in abortion to turn to God and repent.
“This January 22 and beyond, we need to be reassured that Jesus Himself, who is the source of our hope, was first wounded for our offenses, and suffered for every sin of ours, including abortion,” Thomas said. “Please join me in praying that God will fill the hearts of mothers and fathers suffering the emotional and psychological wounds from abortion with the hope of forgiveness that only He can give.”
“We invite them to seek support from the Church’s compassionate and confidential ministries,” he said.
