NY State Catholic Conference statement on Partial Birth Abortion ban

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, today upheld the national Partial Birth Abortion Ban. Kathleen M. Gallagher, director of pro-life activities for the New York State Catholic Conference, made the following statement in reaction: “Today’s Court action is a victory for common sense and a victory for unborn children and their mothers. We believe it will restore some sanity and balance to our legal system by placing reasonable restrictions on the out-of-control abortion industry. The consensus of the majority of state legislatures and the federal government was that this abortion method should be banned. We are hopeful that this decision means that the Court has moved past the constitutional overreach of Roe v. Wade and will begin to allow additional regulations and restrictions in this area. After all, regardless of the stage of development or the type of abortion procedure used, the humanity of all unborn children is the same, and we believe they all should be protected in law. “The medical community has testified that the horrific partial birth abortion procedure is never necessary to save a woman's life. The late pro-abortion Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan labeled it rightly as “infanticide.” No one with an open mind could hear the testimony of the doctors who specialize in this procedure and conclude that partial birth abortion is protected by the United States Constitution. “The Bishops of New York State and Catholic and non-Catholic pro-life New Yorkers alike applaud this decision. We are grateful to President Bush for promoting the law that was upheld today, and for the members of Congress who passed it. Finally, we are grateful to the five-member majority of Supreme Court who saw partial-birth abortion for what it is – child abuse – and let sanity prevail.” The Catholic Conference represents New York State’s Bishops in matters of public policy.