Early efforts to oppose broadening the practice of abortion in the United States were largely driven by Catholics.
Respect Life
Catholic activists renew calls to abolish capital punishment after ‘year of the botched execution’
After a report dubbed 2022 “the year of the botched execution,” Catholic activists renewed their calls for an end to capital punishment in the U.S. at both the state and federal levels.
Pro-life leaders regroup after post-Dobbs ballot initiative losses
After voters in states across the U.S. last November either rejected ballot measures meant to restrict abortion, or voted to codify measures protecting the procedure, some pro-life leaders have called for the movement to regroup.
Dueling reports paint differing pictures of U.S. abortion rate prior to Roe reversal
Dueling studies on the abortion rate in the United States give a conflicting picture about the prevalence of abortion in the last days of Roe v. Wade.
Following Dobbs, Catholic groups implement or expand parental leave policies
Catholic organizations announced they will implement expanded parental leave policies or provide other resources as a means of demonstrating their commitment to building a culture of life.
FDA permits retail pharmacies to dispense abortion drugs, prompting criticism from Catholic, pro-life groups
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will allow retail pharmacies to offer abortion pills in the United States for the first time, the agency announced Jan. 3, prompting criticism from Catholic and pro-life groups.
Oregon commutations, Oklahoma scheduling pace key death penalty report
Even though 2022 was another year with fewer than 30 executions, more than half of those were in just two states, Oklahoma and Texas.
Advocates displeased with U.S. vote against global death penalty ban
When the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution Dec. 15 to establish a worldwide “moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty,” the United States continued its practice of voting against it.
Priests for Life head says Vatican didn’t tell him directly he was laicized
– In a live morning broadcast on Twitter Dec. 18, Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, said he was not told directly by the Vatican that he has been laicized.
Dobbs decision dominates Supreme Court’s year
Although they were pleased with the Dobbs outcome, Catholic leaders acknowledged then and months later that the decision didn’t lessen the urgency for the church in its pro-life advocacy efforts.
State Supreme Court reinstates Georgia’s six-week ban on abortions
The Supreme Court of Georgia Nov. 23 reinstated a law that bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is about six weeks into a pregnancy.
U.S. Catholic leaders speak out against three November executions
In the third week of November, three executions by lethal injection took place in the U.S. in just two days and a fourth execution was called off after failed attempts happened close to the expiration of the prisoner’s death warrant.