BROOKFIELD, Wis. — The leader of the Catholic Church in Milwaukee held a special mass on Thursday to recognize the overturning of Roe V. Wade.
At St. Dominic Catholic Parish in Brookfield, Archbishop Jerome Listecki of the Milwaukee Archdiocese said the Supreme Court's decision was not a victory. It did not outlaw abortion.
"It's a correction, a correction that there isn't a constitutional protection for abortion," he said.
During his homily, Listecki asked the congregation to remember the millions of lives, he said, lost to abortion.
“The direct taking of an innocent life in the Catholic Church is always understood to be an intrinsic evil," he said. "Those are our citizens. Those are our brothers and sisters."
Listecki said he doesn't see this as a loss of rights for women, because the right is not guaranteed in the constitution.
"I would say there are two rights. The right of the unborn, as well as the right of women. I would say there is a choice to be able to have that life, to bring that life to fruition," said Listecki.
Listecki stressed that more focus needs to be placed on support — both within the church and outside — for women to maintain their pregnancies.
But not all Catholics share the same views.
“It’s so important to point out that the churches teaching on sexuality, on reproductive health, all of the teachings, were solely developed by men and men who took a vow of celibacy," said Jamie Manson, president of Catholics for Choice.
The churches teachings have changed, she said, and many of Catholic's today support choice.
“There’s a real opening for a conversation there, that we’d like to have with the hierarchy," said Manson. "And we would really ask them to reckon with the science behind fertilized eggs. We would ask them to consider not just the fetus, but the value of the woman who is carrying a pregnancy.”
Manson questioned whether the Catholic Church is truly prepared for the impact of Roe's overturning.
"I don't think the Catholic Church has really reckoned with what a post-Roe world means, and I know for a fact they do not have the means to support them [babies and mothers]," said Manson.
Listecki did suggest abortion isn't always avoidable.
"There are some types of almost extreme, extreme situations," he said, including certain situations to save the life of the mother.
But the church's goal is to prevent all abortions, and it's hoping the states that still allow it move to further restrict abortion rights.
