| July 14, 2008 | Volume 83, Number 19 | |
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Consequences of abortionLetters and email messages received by both The Catholic Virginian and Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo in response to news of a young Guatemalan woman having an abortion show there is a lot of anger out there. Some who are outraged want to blame others for actions they find reprehensible. But there is a deeper issue here and it’s one in which we as Catholics must bolster our efforts to educate people about what abortion is and the consequences it has. With all the anger and pointing of fingers as to who should have prevented the abortion, focus is taken off the real tragedy which is the loss of an innocent life. A baby has been taken by abortion. To many — particularly those under 35 — abortion is a right. The U.S. Supreme Court pretty much allowed abortion to be the law of the land when it overturned most state restrictions of abortion with the Roe v. Wade ruling on Jan. 22, 1973. Much is said about individual rights and “what’s in it for me,” but does anyone stop and really consider just what abortion is? Pro-choice advocates concentrate on the right of women to have an abortion which unfortunately is their right by law. But what about the life of the unborn child? Have we become so indifferent that this no longer matters? To make a long story short, abortion is a medical procedure by which an unborn baby’s life is ended. There can be no question about it. If a woman decides to have an abortion, she has already learned that she has a baby on the way. A pregnancy test is taken to stop the guessing of whether she is pregnant or not. If she doesn’t want the baby, abortion is thought to be the answer. But is it the right answer? People need to know that with the pregnancy there is a beating heart. There is no mistake that human life has begun. The pregnancy test confirms it. While this is basic, does everyone have this understanding? Is it something that parents teach their children at the proper age? Or are individual rights so important that basic facts of life are ignored? Another matter of concern is that women faced with an unwanted pregnancy need to be made aware of options they have. Abortion is not the only option. The “unwanted baby” could easily find a home with adoptive parents who long for a baby and cannot conceive. A woman initially distressed at learning she is pregnant might change her mind and want to keep the baby. This option is always open to her if she continues her pregnancy. But it is taken away from her in an instant with an abortion. Catholic Church teaching is clear on abortion. The sanctity of life should be upheld. All programs or agencies affiliated with the Catholic Church must clearly support Church teaching. That being said, let us focus our energy teaching our young people — as well as many adults — about the sanctity of life and why abortion is wrong because it goes against life. Sadly, it’s something that not everybody knows.
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