In oral arguments that took nearly two hours, several of the justices found fault with the state’s decision process in determining just how religious a school was to decide if it could participate or not.

The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee urged all people of goodwill to pray that the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade in its ruling on Mississippi’s ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

In the Supreme Court’s first major abortion case in decades the majority of justices Dec. 1 seemed willing to let that ban stay in place. But it was unclear if they would take this further and overturn Roe.

If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade and sends the abortion issue back to the states, will there still be a need for the annual rally and march in Washington?

Asked Thursday if there have been times when he had to resolve legal questions that conflict with his Catholic faith, Thomas said it has not been a problem for him.

This year’s National Catholic Prayer Breakfast had no political speakers and only a small political contingent in attendance, and there was little mention of an upcoming Supreme Court case involving a Mississippi abortion ban.