From joy to anger, faith leaders react to Roe's reversal

Religious Americans are deeply divided in their views on abortion, and reactions from faith leaders ranged from elation to anger after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that made abortion legal nationwide.

The ruling issued Friday was hailed by leading Catholic bishops, even though a majority of U.S. Catholics support abortion rights.

“I recognize there are people on both sides of the question in the Catholic Church,” said Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities. “What we are finding though is that when people become more aware of what the church is doing to assist women in difficult pregnancies … hearts and minds begin to change.”

The ruling also was welcomed by many evangelical Christian leaders, including Bart Barber, newly elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination. Southern Baptists “rejoice at the ruling,” he said.

However, the decision — expected to lead to sweeping abortion bans in more than 20 states — was decried by some mainline Protestant leaders, including Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. “I am deeply grieved,” he said.

Several Jewish organizations said the decision infringes on Jewish traditions that accept the need for abortion.

Nadiah Mohajir, cofounder of Heart Women and Girls, a Chicago nonprofit that works with Muslim communities on reproductive rights, expressed dismay: “More than half of American Muslims support safe access to abortion. What we're seeing here is a very small minority of privileged people who are trying to impose a narrow Christian understanding of when life begins.”

Here are some more reactions from faith leaders:

“The release of the Dobbs decision marks a true turning point in the pro-life movement, a moment that Christians, advocates and many others have worked toward tirelessly for 50 years . ... As this chapter comes to a close, we must understand this is not the end of our important work. The issue of abortion has now been turned over to the states, many of which have either implemented or are considering some of the most abhorrently permissive pro-abortion proposals ever.” — Brent Leatherwood, acting president of the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, in a statement.

“Today's Supreme Court decision ... discarding nearly 50 years of precedent, will endanger the lives and well-being of birthing people who do not choose to continue pregnancy. God loves and cares for people who have abortions, and so does the United Church of Christ.” — General ministers of the United Church of Christ, in a joint statement.