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2 JULY 2022 | DENVER CATHOLIC ARCH B I S H O P ' S CO LU M N J ust as the Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973 was a turning point for how our country treats innocent and vulnerable children in the womb, the recent ruling in Dobbs v. Mississippi is an inf lection point in the opposite direction. As Catholics who believe in the God-given, irrevocable dignit y of every person, from conception to natural death, we are called to respond to this new moment with faith, hope and charit y in a challenging environment. This issue of the Denver Catholic is fittingly dedicated to life issues and the Church's efforts to build a culture of life in our state. The foun- dation for this culture is the truth that there is no one who is beyond the mercy and love of God and no condition which causes any person to lose their human dignity. The right to life is God given, not state given, and it begins at the time of conception. As Christians with a biblical worl- dview, we recognize that creation is good and a gift and most especially an unrepeatable human life. Yes, welcoming new life or even the trials of everyday life can be difficult, but struggles are also one of the ways that God forms our hearts and polishes our souls so that they ref lect his image even more clearly. Earthly life is how God prepares us for eternal life with him. P O S T- D O B B S CO LO R A D O As we seek to live out our faith in this pres- ent world, we should be looking for the ways that God is asking us to establish his kingdom more firmly, such as fostering a culture of life. Over the 45-plus years since Roe v. Wade allowed legal abortion, many Catholics in the archdiocese and around the nation have devoted themselves to making this happen. This should be a time of gratitude for the repeal of Roe, an unjust ruling that allowed millions of children to be legally killed in the womb. At the same time, with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to return the regulation of abor- tion back to the state level, the Church in Colo- rado and our pro-life allies have an uphill battle in front of us. While we can rejoice that many neighboring states will likely enact limits on abortion, the signing into law of the Reproduc- tive Health Equity Act allows abortion in Colo- rado up until birth for any reason. Furthermore, it states that no embryo or fetus has rights, prior to birth. This is truly a clear rejection of the truth, goodness and beauty of human life. The aim, according to some of its supporters, is to make Colorado an "abortion destination." This new reality presents us with a challenge. We must prepare ourselves to welcome and sup- port more women who are vulnerable to choos- ing abortion by giving them our love, prayers, and friendship, by continuing to provide excellent medical and mental health care, and by support- ing them with housing and other material needs. BY ARCHBISHOP SAMUEL J. AQUILA Follow Archbishop Aquila on Social media: | The Future of the Pro-life Movement in Colorado