By Catholic News Service
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Motivated by the upcoming change on the Supreme Court, the Knights of Columbus is urging its members and all Catholics to join in a novena to pray for the protection of human life in the law.
The novena, which Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York called for in mid-July, will be a nine-week prayer effort every Friday from Aug. 3 to Sept. 28.
When Cardinal Dolan announced the novena as chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, he expressed concerns about lobbying by “pro-abortion groups” against confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s nominee to replace now-retired Justice Anthony Kennedy.
“While the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops does not support or oppose the confirmation of any presidential nominee,” he said, “we can and should raise grave concerns about a confirmation process which is being grossly distorted by efforts to subject judicial nominees to a litmus test of support for Roe v. Wade. And we must pray.”
Carl Anderson, the CEO of the Knights of Columbus, said: “We join our pastors in praying that the confirmation process will help lead to a court that upholds the right to life of every person, as it is the prerequisite for all other rights guaranteed by our Constitution.”
Materials for the “Call to Prayer” novena are available at https://bit.ly/2JBU1MH. Those who participate in the novena can sign up at www.usccb.org/pray to receive weekly notifications by text or email in addition to material about Roe v. Wade and its aftermath.
Those participating are asked to fast on Fridays and say an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for the intention.