Marie Keating of St. John Neumann in Eagan, Minn., holds a pro-life sign at a June 24, 2022, rally in downtown St. Paul. More than 200 people gathered as the Supreme Court the same day overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision in its ruling in the Dobbs case on a Mississippi law banning most abortions after 15 weeks. (CNS photo/Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit)
RESPECT LIFE
Daily we are bombarded with news about women’s rights. Women call themselves “pro-choice” to describe their “right” to decide what is best for their own bodies in issues such as contraception and pregnancy. This term has been around since the 1960s and is visible today in the slogan “My Body, My Choice.”
“Pro-choice” was coined in the 1960s by Larry Lader and Dr. Bernard Nathanson who founded in 1969 the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL). Lader dedicated his life to abortion on demand. Dr. Nathanson was an abortionist who later had a profound change of heart. He said, “abortion is the most atrocious holocaust in the history of the United States.” He converted to Catholicism in 1969 because, he said, no religion matches its special role in forgiveness.
“Pro-choice” is a euphemism for abortion, making it more palatable to the listener, shielding the listener from unpleasant truths. We can discuss all the political rhetoric, but the bottom line rests with each one of us. What is truth and how do we defend or deny its existence?
Pro-lifers cheer at the closing of abortion clinics and stand behind the states that have severely restricted abortion or have banned it entirely. As pro-choice activists devise ways to continue to provide pro-abortion rights, pro-life activists are developing new ways to speak for the unborn and to allow women to pursue a life of joy and happiness despite the challenges of an unexpected pregnancy.
The church is redoubling its efforts in offering love and compassionate care to those who are abandoned, marginalized and discarded by society. The Pearson Place Pregnancy Resource Center in Honolulu is one of many pregnancy centers across the nation assisting women with an unwanted pregnancy. Catholic Charities Hawaii offers counseling and transitional housing for women with problem pregnancies. The Knights of Columbus provide monetary, emotional and physical assistance to families in need. A new ministry, “Walking with Moms in Need,” was introduced by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2020, which turns Catholic parishes into welcoming places for mothers suffering hardship.
Natural law professes that human beings possess intrinsic values. Catholics base our understanding of the dignity of human life on the Gospel teachings, the words of Christ and encyclicals. This is the basis of our truth.
What is truth? The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us to work for the common good, to build a society upholding the dignity of the human person and to lift up the poor and vulnerable. We do this by calling upon our families, our communities and our parishes to work together in solidarity for the common good.
Every person has the fundamental right to life. We do God’s will supporting the poor and vulnerable. We are stewards to God’s creation. We respect and love God by showing respect and love to all of his creation. This is the truth we believe and live.
