Editorial

After judge’s ruling, let’s use 40 Days for Life campaign as part of our response

We are in the midst of the Lenten season, where prayer, fasting and almsgiving are three pillars of faith that are central to these 40 days.

While all are important, we believe prayer is a powerful weapon and must be a staple of our everyday lives.

And where life is concerned, we continue to be in a spiritual battle.

As we continue our prayerful efforts to build a culture of life, we have run into a roadblock because of a Marion County judge’s recent ruling.

As reported on page 10 of this week’s issue of The Criterion, Judge Christina R. Klineman on March 5 blocked the state’s near-total abortion ban from being enforced against Indiana residents who object to the ban on religious grounds. The ruling came in response to a class-action lawsuit claiming the ban violated religious freedom protections.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has appealed the ruling.

In 2022, the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana (ACLU) filed a class-action lawsuit claiming that Indiana’s Senate Enrolled Act 1, which prohibited most abortions in the state, violated Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of an organization called Hoosier Jews for Choice, and five women who claimed they held sincere religious beliefs that they must be able to obtain an abortion under circumstances prohibited by the law, the ACLU said.

As people of faith, we believe all life must be protected from conception to natural death. We also hold that the state law passed in 2022 protecting nearly all unborn life isn’t a case where one religious group is forcing its beliefs on others that disagree with them. In fact, a strong case can be made on reason alone that unborn life should be protected by law.

And we strongly agree with the sentiments shared by Alexander Mingus, executive director of the Indiana Catholic Conference, in a March 7 statement about the judge’s ruling.

“Indiana’s religious freedom laws were passed for the purpose of protecting religious practice, not to protect the ending of a human life,” he said.

“Religions that preach violence are not protected by religious freedom claims,” he continued. “While the court’s decision is disappointing, the Catholic Church in Indiana remains committed to upholding the dignity of all life and concretely supporting women with difficult pregnancies.”

Mingus wasn’t alone in his criticism of the ruling.

Mike Fichter, Indiana Right to Life president and chief executive officer, said in a March 6 statement, “For the court to rule that taking the life of an unborn child is an exercise of religious freedom is deeply distressing—and a perversion of the law’s intent.

“Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act was never intended to equate taking the life of an unborn child with religious expression in our state,” he said, adding that the ruling “will be exploited so anyone claiming a spiritual belief, even if personal and non-theistic, can justify taking a child’s life.”

While each of us should offer prayers that the state is successful in its appeal, our efforts do not need to begin and end there.

Providentially, we are in the midst of the spring 40 Days for Life campaign, which offers us the opportunity to convert minds and hearts from a culture of death to a culture of life. Through this public witness, we can shine Christ’s light on this dark chapter and especially offer prayers for an end to abortion.

The campaign, which began on Feb. 18 and runs through March 29, has two locations in the archdiocese where people can respectfully pray for life: North Vernon and Indianapolis.

The campaign in North Vernon is taking place at North Vernon Park, 604 N. State St.

To sign up for one or more hours, go to www.40daysforlife.com/en/northvernon. For more information, contact Tim O’Donnell at idipsumsapere@att.net.

In Indianapolis, the campaign is taking place in front of the Planned Parenthood facility at 8590 Georgetown Road. Parking is available along Georgetown Road. Do not park in the Women’s Care Center parking lot or at the industrial complex across from the Planned Parenthood facility.

To sign up for one or more hours during the Indianapolis campaign, go to www.40daysforlife.com/en/indianapolis. The Indiana Knights of Columbus will hold a 12-hour overnight vigil in front of the Planned Parenthood facility starting at 6 p.m. on March 27.

All are welcome to join for a few minutes, an hour or more.

To sign up for one or more hours during the Indianapolis campaign, go to www.40daysforlife.com/en/indianapolis. For additional information on the Indianapolis campaign, contact Robert Burton at 40daysforlife.indy@gmail.com.

We have learned our efforts to protect all human life from conception to natural death have become a never-ending battle.

But that must not deter us in our efforts.

May we stay strong in knowing that each of us—born and unborn—is made in the image and likeness of God.

—Mike Krokos