Frank PavoneGuest Post by Pro-life Leader Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for LifeWASHINGTON, D.C. — We’ve all been in gatherings where we’ve sung Christian hymns, and we’re all familiar with so many of them. But when was the last time you heard a verse of a Christian hymn say, “And here comes judicial reform?”For me, it was this past Monday, as I gathered with Christian conservative leaders and prayer warriors at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC to speak and lead prayer at third annual National Consecration of Our Court. This annual event focuses on prayer for the entire judicial branch of government, from the U.S. Supreme Court to federal appellate and district courts and state courts.Monday was first day of the Supreme Court’s new term, and the event was organized by the Judicial Action Group (JAG), headed by Phillip Jauregui. JAG works to help citizens understand the judicial branch of our government, including the process of selecting, confirming and electing judges.The gathering is an important reminder that the courts are just as consequential to the protection of unborn children as the legislative and executive branches. Most people have some experience in dealing with those two branches but are unclear on how to affect the judicial branch.The way to do that is through keeping informed about specific judicial nominees and paying attention to judicial confirmation processes and elections.At the gathering, different faith leaders prayed for the various levels of the American judicial system. Retired Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Parker led prayer for the state courts, while Mike Berry from First Liberty Institute prayed for the federal district and appellate courts. Those courts deserve particular attention because – simply for practicality — well over 99% of court cases are resolved without ever reaching the Supreme Court.Different faith leaders were assigned to pray individually for each justice and I was given Justice Brett Kavanaugh. In my remarks, I began by thanking God for President Trump, who reshaped the Court for the good of the prolife movement. I also thanked God for the US Senate Republicans who got rid of the filibuster for Supreme Court nominations. That was essential for reversing Roe, because none of President Trump’s three Supreme Court Justices got more than 54 votes.The reversal of Roe, which Justice Kavanaugh helped accomplish by his vote, was an act of humility and repentance by the Court. His separate concurrence made the point that nine Justices should not presume to decide such a crucial issue for all the people.I also noted that during his time on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, Kavanaugh had previously sided with Priests for Life in our challenge to the federal HHS mandate requiring us to participate in a process that could facilitate the provision of contraception and abortion-inducing drugs to our employees.Although a three-judge panel ruled against Priests for Life, Kavanaugh dissented from the denial of the organization’s request for an en banc hearing by the full appeals court. He said he would side with us, recognizing that the government had a less burdensome way of accomplishing its objectives without requiring Priests for Life to participate in a process that violated our beliefs.(We ended up in the Supreme Court, and ultimately won that whole battle thanks to the election of President Trump.)We all remembered the intense attacks he endured during his confirmation process, as well as the attempted assassination, and prayed for the protection of all the Justices.The event sponsor, Judicial Action Group, researches and vets judicial candidates before they are nominated, confirmed or elected, helping citizens understand who the candidates are and what judicial philosophies they hold. Citizens can then communicate with their senators during federal confirmation processes and become informed participants in state judicial elections.Let’s pray regularly for America’s courts (see ProLifePrayers.com) and make prayer for judges and the judicial system an ongoing part of the pro-life movement.Frank Pavone is national director of Priests for Life and the national pastoral director of Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries and the Silent No More Awareness Campaign..The post Pro-Life Citizens Gather to Pray for the Courts as Supreme Court Begins New Term appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.