West River Bishop Approves Abortion Petition

Last week, Bishop Paul Swain of the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese approved the signing and gathering of petition signatures in support of the latest attempt to ban most abortions in South Dakota.

According to the Rapid City Journal, Bishop Blase Cupich of the Catholic Diocese of Rapid City has also given the green light to parishioners in Rapid City, as well.

The article says many Catholics attending Mass this past weekend in western South Dakota found petitions in their lobbies. It also says Bishop Cupich sent a letter to churches explaining the petition and asking people to "pray for the grace of God’s wisdom about your response" to the petition.

The article features a couple of perspectives from parishioners, one in favor of the petition and the other obviously against it. But of course we knew in 2006 that the objections about a lack of exceptions was only an excuse; now that this proposed ban has those exceptions, the huffing and puffing begins anew, but for different, less-defined reasons.

Many good people may be tempted not to support this bill because it does contain exceptions for rape/incest, and the health of the mother. But the exceptions are tightly-worded so as to prevent abuse. And even under those exceptions, according to the latest abortion statistics in South Dakota, this ban would stop 98.1% of the abortions done in South Dakota. While I'd rather save 100%, I'd rather save 98.1% than 0.0%.

I'm told from sources within the petition campaign that efforts to gather the required number of signatures by the April deadline are well on track, but we need to keep signatures coming in to guarantee the nearly 17,000 signatures required to get it on the ballot for November.

I've signed the petition. Have you?