Guest Post by Pro-life Leader Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life
The opening of a new term in the U.S. Supreme Court is always an occasion for prayer, but this year that need was underscored by a reminder of just how hazardous it can be to serve as a justice on our highest court.
On October 3, just three days before the new term began, the man who traveled from California to Maryland in June 2022 to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Nicholas Roske could have spent 30 years behind bars, but the judge said he did the right thing by not following through on his plan to kill at least three justices, and calling police to turn himself in. (Roske calls himself a woman now and this, too, played a role in his sentencing. More later on this.) U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has promised to appeal.
On the evening of the Court’s opening day, Monday October 6th, the Second Annual National Consecration of our Courts, organized by the Judicial Action Group was held at the Capitol Hill Club. I was among nine faith leaders each of whom were asked to pray for one of the Justices of the Court.
I was assigned Justice Kavanaugh. I was pleased with that, because Justice Kavanaugh had written in favor of Priests for Life when serving on the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, and our case against the HHS mandate came before that court. Moreover, of course, Justice Kavanaugh was among the majority in the Dobbs case, overturning Roe v. Wade.
As it happened, the night of this event was, to the day, the 7th anniversary of the swearing-in of Justice Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. That recalled his tumultuous confirmation process and the unhinged behavior of the Left. That, plus the fact that the man Roske had just been sentenced, I prayed for healing for Justice Kavanaugh, his wife and his two daughters. I asked that the Lord would continue to heal them from both of these traumas.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade was mentioned frequently during the event that drew an audience of a couple of hundred faith and political leaders and served to consecrate the Court to the Lord.
Another dominant theme also emerged: now is the right time for our nation.
All of the speakers and prayer leaders were of one mind that we have turned a corner in our nation, a hopeful one, although one that is partly fueled by tragedy, the Sept. 10 assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. But it’s also driven by favorable Supreme Court decisions on issues like religious freedom, the passage of President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill and its defunding of Planned Parenthood, and other good legislation coming out of Congress.
The whole mood, the whole tone of the gathering was imbued with a sense that there’s a new revival, a spiritual awakening of some kind happening in America. Experienced religious leaders, people who are very much involved in monitoring the judicial system and politics in general – in fact, the evening’s emcee was former Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota – all said that in this new moment, we have to redouble our efforts with renewed confidence to restore America to what it’s supposed to be relative to faith and public policy. The two are not mutually exclusive, nor were they meant to be.
Clearly, we are not there yet, and we need only to return to the courtroom where Justice Kavanaugh’s would-be assassin was sentenced to understand that we have more work ahead of us. Judge Deborah Boardman of the U.S. District Court in Maryland – appointed to the bench by Joe Biden – spent hours justifying why she reduced Roske’s sentence by an astounding 22 years.
Addressing and referring to Roske by his “preferred pronouns,” Boardman said, “I am heartened that this terrible infraction has helped the Roske family … accept their daughter for who she is.”
It will take some time to free our nation from the lunacy the Democrats are intent on imposing on us and our children. But like the other faith leaders gathered with me in D.C., I am confident that we are on the right path, especially thanks to that profound evening of prayer in which, as I said in my remarks, we joined together to submit the Supreme Court of the United States of America to the Supreme Court of Jesus Christ!
Prolife Leader Frank Pavone is the National Director of Priests for Life and President of Prolife Vote.
For more information on the political work of Priests for Life, see our c-4, ProLife Vote.