June 25, 2022
Dear St. Stephen’s family-
As
you all know by now, yesterday the Supreme Court made its landmark decision to
reverse Roe v. Wade, which will greatly limit healthcare for women in our
country.
Presiding
Bishop Michael Curry issued a statement (which I include at the end of this
message), in which he said, “Today’s decision institutionalizes inequality
because women with access to resources will be able to exercise their moral
judgment in ways that women without the same resources will not.”
For
many here at St. Stephen’s this decision by the Supreme Court is a painful,
difficult and personal situation that affects us deeply on both collective and
personal levels. Many of us have fought hard for many years for women’s rights
and for full and protected healthcare for all. Some of us have suffered personally
from the effects of a lack of healthcare for various reasons. This decision by
SCOTUS seems to many (including myself) to be several steps backward in on the
path of progress.
In
addition to the shock of that decision, the House of Bishops has received
information “from federal authorities of credible security threats against
clergy and churches…” and that “there is concern that clergy who have advised
parishioners about abortion access and their reproductive rights may face
threats or violence.”
As most of you
know, I have been speaking out vocally on both my own social media accounts and
on the St. Stephen’s Facebook page about this issue and so far, I have received
overwhelming support. But, as we have experienced in the past when have stood
up for LGBTQ+ rights in this Diocese and state, we are aware there are people who
do not share our commitment and who are willing to lash out at those with
different opinions. Please know that despite such threats, I will continue to speak
out as I have. I will also be preaching on this issue tomorrow at Mass.
I repeat what
I have said on social media: I will continue to support full access to
healthcare for all people and will do everything in my power as a Christian, as
a priest and as a citizen to make sure such access is made available.
I also
mention, though I do not mean to unduly alarm anyone, that Justice Clarence
Thomas made a comment yesterday regarding the possibility that SCOTUS may be eyeing
future issues such as gay marriage. Considering those comments, I am advising
all our married LGBTQ+ parishioners and friends to get wills, as well as power
of attorney and healthcare power of attorney documents as soon as possible. If any
of you need legal help or suggestions, please contact me.
And for those not married, please
know I am more than willing to officiate at any weddings while we can still
legally do so.
Be assured that St. Stephen’s
will remain a haven for all people, and we will continue to provide care,
safety and protection for anyone who needs it. We renew our commitment to
uphold the “worth and dignity” of all people now and always.
The
consequences of SCOTUS’ decision yesterday are long-ranging and will be affecting
all of us for some time to come. With that in minds, please pray. Pray for our
country during this divisive and contentious time. Please pray for women whose
lives are now in jeopardy because of limited or non-existent healthcare. Pray
for the leadership of this country during this time that strong
leaders may stand up and speak out. And please, do so yourself. Stand up
and speak out.
-peace,
Jamie+
Rector, St. Stephen’s
O great God,
mighty and awesome.
You show no partiality.
You defend the cause
of the fatherless, motherless, and
the widow.
You love the stranger.
We
believe and we feel overwhelmed—
sometimes it is hard to believe
that you actually care about
injustice and suffering.
When we don’t see your work.
When we sense the apathy
from the church and the world.
When we feel small and forget
that we were designed to be
different
and to make things different.
When
we feel overwhelmed
by the darkness in the world—
the violence, injustice, poverty, oppression, abuse.
Give us hope not to be overcome.
Give us eyes to see your goodness for our world.
Give us the strength to hold the pain of injustice in
our world and faith that it will end.
Give us courage to be honest with ourselves about
why and how we are doing justice.
We believe.
Empower us to disrupt our broken
thinking by learning truth from diverse leaders.
Enable us to discover the beauty
of justice and inspire action in
others.
Embolden us to display your
goodness in the world. Amen.
Adapted from a
prayer from A
Liturgy of Longing by Sandra Maria Van Opstal, found in Sarah
Bessey’s A
Rhythm of Prayer: A Collection of Meditations for Renewal; Convergent Publishing, 2021.
Statement on Supreme Court
Dobbs decision by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
June 24, 2022
Office of Public Affairs
Today the Supreme Court released its decision in
the case of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The
court has overturned the constitutional right to abortion that
was recognized in the seminal 1973 case Roe v. Wade.
While I, like many, anticipated this decision, I am deeply
grieved by it. I have been ordained more than 40 years, and I have served as a
pastor in poor communities; I have witnessed firsthand the negative impact this
decision will have.
We as a church have tried carefully to be responsive both to
the moral value of women having the right to determine their healthcare choices
as well as the moral value of all life. Today’s decision institutionalizes
inequality because women with access to resources will be able to exercise
their moral judgment in ways that women without the same resources will not.
This is a pivotal day for our nation, and I acknowledge the
pain, fear, and hurt that so many feel right now. As a
church, we stand with those who will feel the effects of this
decision—and in the weeks, months, and years to come.
The Episcopal Church maintains that access to
equitable health care, including reproductive health care and reproductive
procedures, is “an integral part of a woman’s struggle to assert her dignity
and worth as a human being” (2018-D032). The church holds that
“reproductive health procedures should be treated as all other medical
procedures, and not singled out or omitted by or because of gender”
(2018-D032). The Episcopal Church sustains its “unequivocal opposition to any
legislation on the part of the national or state governments which would
abridge or deny the right of individuals to reach informed decisions [about the
termination of pregnancy] and to act upon them” (2018-D032). As
stated in the 1994 Act of Convention, the church also opposes any
“executive or judicial action to abridge the right of a woman to reach an
informed decision…or that would limit the access of a woman to safe means of
acting on her decision” (1994-A054).
The court’s decision eliminates federal protections for
abortion and leaves the regulation of abortion to the states. The
impact will be particularly acute for those who are impoverished or lack
consistent access to health care services. As Episcopalians, we pray for those
who may be harmed by this decision, especially for women and other people who
need these reproductive services. We pray for the poor and vulnerable who may
not have other options for access. We urge you to make your voice heard in the
way you feel called but always to do so peacefully and with respect and love of
neighbor.
No comments:
Post a Comment