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On Jan. 17, Villanova the Office for Mission Effectiveness sponsored a panel discussion on Roe v. Wade to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision to permit legal abortions in the United States. The panel included five faculty members from different departments at the University and was moderated by Dr. Barbara Wall who heads the Office for Mission Effectiveness.

The first speaker was Dr. Joseph Dellapenna from the Villanova University School of Law. His topic was “The Legal Aspects of the Roe v. Wade Decision.” “While abortion was rare, and legal activity was therefore also rare, the legal authorities from the time are unequivocal that abortion was a crime. (Justice) Blackmun's contention, which formed the basis of his conclusions in Roe, that abortion was an accepted practice in the Anglo-American legal tradition is simply false,” said Dellapenna.

The second speaker was Dr. Colleen Sheehan of the political science department. Her topic was “The Public Policy Implications of the Roe v. Wade Decision.” “The majority of Americans believe that abortion is morally wrong and the majority of Americans also believe that it is the woman’s right to choose, which right ought to be protected by the law.” Sheehan also talked about how Americans' views on morality have changed in the last 30 years, and how most people feel that moral right and wrong are subjective. She argued that this belief in moral relativism is at the basis of Americans' confusion over abortion, and why they (personally) consider abortion to be wrong but also believe it is a woman's right.

The third speaker was Dr. Darlene Weaver from the Theology and Religious studies Department. Her topic was “The Catholic Theological and Ethical Aspects of the Decision.” “Civil, collaborative and spirited public debate is needed in order to establish a social consensus that can ground and render feasible law and public policy which aims at protecting life and promoting the common good,” said Weaver. She also stated, “…the moral truth that may be expressed in theological symbols and claims is marginalized rather than elucidated.”

The fourth speaker was Dr. Joseph Betz from the philosophy department. His topic was “The Pro Life Seamless Garment Argument.” Betz stated that, “The idea of the seamless garment that was championed recently in our lifetime, especially by Cardinal Bernardin of Chicago, is that to be consistent, to hold coherent positions, one should also oppose war, capital punishment and euthanasia. And it is not only a matter of opposing to be pro life, you’re effectively for life by feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, educating the ignorant, and by giving medical care to those who fail to get it. So to be pro life more is needed than simply to be anti abortion.”

The fifth and final speaker was Dr. Linda Copel from the College of Nursing. Her topic was “What Do People Tell Us About Their Experience Of Abortion: A Clinical Perspective.” She spoke about her own work and “quantitative data” she had compiled. Feelings of guilt, regret and loss were prevalent not only among the women who had the abortions, but also the boyfriends and husbands of these women. “I believe that the real work to be done is in pre-abortion counseling. We need to help people understand what they are thinking about, what consequences of their decision and actions are.”