On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated federal protections for the right to abortion. The Dobbs ruling gives states the power to outlaw abortion at every stage of pregnancy: since the decision, abortion has been banned or severely restricted in fourteen states, with other states still working to pass legislation that would make abortion illegal and inaccessible. 

Since 1976, The Episcopal Church has maintained 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.” In 2022, General Convention reaffirmed opposition to abortion restrictions, and highlighted the need for access to abortion to preserve “health, independence, and autonomy” of all people. Indeed, General Convention emphasized that access to abortion is a question of religious liberty. We uphold the conscience rights of pregnant women and other pregnant persons to determine whether they want to continue a pregnancy. The Episcopal Church views reproductive rights as “an integral part of a woman’s struggle to assert her dignity and worth as a human being.” 

We invite you to write your members of Congress and ask them to protect reproductive rights in federal law. 

Summary of General Convention Resolutions on Abortion and Women's Reproductive Health

 

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