Moments ago, the U.S. Supreme Court struck a blow to the Prolife movement with its decision to overturn a Texas law that imposed restrictions on abortion providers. The decision, one that will make it easier to obtain an abortion, is contrary to the core belief of the Church: that human life is sacred and it is our duty to respect and nurture life at every stage.
In the case Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the court struck down two provisions of a 2013 Texas law regulating abortion in that state. The law required abortion clinics to comply with standards of ambulatory surgical centers and their doctors to have admitting privileges at local hospitals.
The decision will likely influence cases in as many as 12 other states where similar laws are being challenged.
The passage of the law in 2013 resulted in nearly half of the existing clinics to close down and it was expected that number would fall again by as much as 50 percent if the court upheld the law.
The foundation of the decision lies in the 1992 ruling by the court which stated that state laws cannot create an “undue burden” on a woman’s constitutional right to end a pregnancy before the fetus is considered viable (in medical terms).