14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Roe v. Wade overturned)

There is currently, great hostility directed at the Catholic Church over the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. It can leave us feeling embarrassed to admit we’re Catholic. It can also make us wonder if the supreme court’s decision was unfair or even harmful to women, as it’s been suggested.

Part of the challenge in trying to sort through all this may depend upon where we get our information. Too many news sources (conservative and liberal) tend to be biased, and therefore flood us with information that supports their side, and intentionally distort or omit information that would provide a more nuanced or balanced perspective. Thus, I offer the following questions and considerations regarding the recent overturning of Roe V. Wade.

1.    If this is a Supreme Court decision, why does it feel like the Catholic Church is under attack? It’s because Catholics have been one of the strongest (if not the strongest) voice in seeking to overcome the abortion of babies. Secondly, several of the U.S. Supreme Court justices are Catholic. Finally, the Catholic Church, because of its structure, is a visible entity or body, in ways that various other organizations are largely independent of one another.

2.    It’s said that it was a bunch of old white men, making policy that denies the rights of women. To be clear, in 1973, when the Roe v. Wade decision was made, allowing for abortion as a legal right in all states, it was made by a body of justices that were both all-male and all-white (exception: Thurgood Marshall). The current body of Supreme Court justices is comprised of both males and females, representing various races. Also, contrary to how it’s usually described, women—not men—comprise the majority of pro-life advocates.

3.    Isn’t legalized abortion a constitutional right? Abortion is mentioned nowhere in the U.S. Constitution or its amendments. Some, however, interpret the 14th amendment as a protection for the legal right to abortion in all states. Further, despite how it’s sometimes presented, that the recent decision criminalizes abortion, that’s not accurate. What it does, is it allows individual states to determine the law, such as putting it before voters of the respective state.

4.    Why does the Church meddle in matters of politics? Overall, the Church has no interest in delving into politics. However, when the political system makes decisions that impact something the Church regards as sacred, such as human life, she has no choice but to enter the discussion.

5.    It’s unfair to deny a woman’s sovereign right to choose. It’s not about taking away a woman’s personal freedoms, sexual or reproductive. Instead, it’s foremost to protect the baby’s rights. Too often, it’s only presented as a woman’s issue, and denial of her rights. What is not mentioned is the baby. When it comes to rights, in general, one’s rights only extend to the point that they don’t obstruct the rights of another. If a person doesn’t first have the right to live, all other rights are meaningless.

Regarding the idea of imposing obligations on a woman/mother, there are existing laws that do just that: a mother is required to feed her child, to ensure the child goes to school, receives medical care, etc. We believe the obligation to care for the child begins before birth.

6.    What about cases of rape and incest? Cases of pregnancy as result of rape or incest are statistical anomalies (1% or less), not the norm or even close to it. That’s not to undermine the horror of such circumstances. But terminating the life of the baby doesn’t undo that horror, and further, the baby is not to blame. Terminating the life of the baby only compounds the problem. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Most often, the consideration to abort a child is driven by fear. For example, fear that the baby will change the trajectory of the mother’s life in a negative way (“I already had plans for my life, and this changes everything.”); fear of ability to care for the child, financially or otherwise; fear of judgment from others for getting pregnant, etc. Therefore, we must provide loving support for pregnant women. Thankfully, the Catholic Church offers substantial support toward these services.

7.    Why does it seem that pro-life folks care only about the child before birth? More than just speaking against abortion, the Catholic Church, including its cooperation with partnering organizations, has done a lot to not only provide support to women experiencing a crisis pregnancy (Gabriel Project, Prepares, etc.), but also to provide healing and love where abortion has brought wounds. Through something called Project Rachel, those bearing such wounds are invited to encounter God’s undying love and a path toward healing (Project Rachel), as they commend their child to God’s eternal embrace.

The Catholic Church, including its cooperation with partnering organizations, provides support to people in need at all stages of life, through organizations like Catholic Community Services.

8.    Much of the dispute is based upon the fact that while some believe it’s a human life (and therefore entitled to legal rights), others say it’s not yet a person. Those who are pro-choice usually say that what is in the womb is not a person, but instead merely a clump of cells. I’ve heard the response to this, saying that we’re all clumps of cells, but we’re still more. With the advance in sciences, such as ultrasound machines, we can see and detect signs of a living being at very early stages of pregnancy. For example, at about week 6, a heartbeat can usually be detected. At three months, arms, hands and fingers are fully formed, and the baby begins to open and close fists and mouth.

9.    Why does it seem we speak only about the issue of abortion, and not other causes for life? The issue of abortion gets disproportionately more attention for two principal reasons. First, because of the sheer numbers. According to statistics compiled by Worldometers, in 2019 there were over 42.3 million abortions world-wide (115,000 per day). That’s more than the combined population of Issaquah and Sammamish, each day. No other life issue (e.g., death penalty, euthanasia) is comparable in number.

Secondly, it violates our principle about life so egregiously because it’s one person in the family, willfully ending the life of another. It stings because family, by God’s design, is the sacred cell that forms human society.

Even as we take a firm position that abortion is wrong, for reasons already cited, we condemn neither those who support it nor those who have committed abortion. Our position, even as it is firm, must be rooted in love. Because it’s not just laws we want; we want hearts to change. In our witness to the cause of life, we don’t just speak against a culture of death, we must be a voice that joyfully proclaims the sanctity of life. I conclude with the following words from Healing the Culture’s website, which I believe articulate our position:

“The world says that we need abortion because women can’t find happiness if a baby comes between them and their plans. But Christ teaches that we need the unborn child, because no one can find happiness without learning how to sacrifice ourselves for the needs of someone else. And who teaches this lesson better than a completely helpless and dependent unborn baby?  

          “The world says that we need abortion because women can’t climb the ladder of success if an unexpected child comes along. But Christ teaches that we cannot be successful by sacrificing our brothers and sisters in order to get ahead.  

          “The world says that we need abortion because love means that every child should be a wanted child. But Christ teaches that if we kill people we don’t want, we abandon the very heart of love.