Why a Day of Prayer and Penance?
In the U.S., the date of January 22nd as the Day of Prayer and Penance is significant because this date marks the anniversary of the deplorable Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the U.S. throughout all nine months of pregnancy. The Roe v. Wade decision legally established in the U.S. that most laws against abortion in the United States were unconstitutional, for privacy rights reasons, under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Because abortion is immoral and intrinsically evil, we as faithful Catholics are obligated to teach against this grave evil. This is to be worked towards certainly through social and political actions; however, as an issue of faith, the weapons of prayer and penance are of significance: “Filled with this certainty, and moved by profound concern for the destiny of every man and woman, I repeat what I said to those families who carry out their challenging mission amid so many difficulties: a great prayer for life is urgen
