Washington D.C., Sep 4, 2005 / 22:00 pm
In the wake of the death of Chief Supreme Court Justice William R. Rehnquist at his Virginia home Saturday night, pro-life groups across the country are mourning for his loss and praying fervently for his successor on a Supreme Court heatedly divided on right to life issues.
Rehnquist, who was the last remaining member of the court who handed down the infamous Roe vs. Wade decision, was widely acclaimed as a strong voice for the dignity of life.
Although the judge was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last October, his death in light of Supreme Court judicial nominee John Robert's confirmation hearings this week, came as a surprise to many. President Bush has now opted to nominate Robert's to fill Rehnquist's shoes as Supreme Court Justice--a move sure to please pro-life groups.
The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) noted that Millions of pro-life Americans are now mourning the death of Rehnquist. NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson pointed out that the 80-year old judge had "dissented from the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion on demand in 1973. He consistently voted to allow elected lawmakers to decide when and how to protect unborn human life, most recently as one of four dissenting justices who said that states should be allowed to ban partial-birth abortion."