On March 26, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine and a companion case Danco Laboratories, LLC v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. (SCOTUSblog case page.) At issue are challenges to the Food and Drug Administration's relaxation of restrictions on the administration and use of the abortion drug mifepristone. (See prior posting.) On March 14, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a letter (full text) calling for the recitation of a special prayer beginning the day before oral arguments and daily until the date in June when the case is decided. The letter reads in part:
The USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities is inviting Catholics to join a focused effort of prayer for the end of abortion and the protection of women and preborn children, beginning on March 25, the eve of the oral arguments, and the anniversary of St. John Paul II’s landmark, pro-life encyclical, The Gospel of Life (Evangelium vitae). In particular, we will invoke the intercession of St. Joseph, Defender of Life....
The Tablet and Catholic World Report both report on the Bishops' Nationwide Invitation to Prayer.
