Being a (provisional) Roman pro-lifer is kind of a funny feeling. I am living in the home of my faith, in the heart of the Church, in the world-seat of Christianity. I am practically neighbors with Pope Benedict XVI, I ride the bus every morning with priests and sisters galore, and I walk past the Vatican on my way to class. A picture of Mary hangs next to the sign of the Burger King near my apartment. There are over 900 Catholic churches in this one city. The Church is alive and well!
Throughout history, it has been this Church which has spoken as the consistent and chief mouthpiece of the pro-life message. Our current Holy Father calls abortion an "intrinsic evil," and an "aggression against society itself." John Paul II rallied Christians to "stand up every time human life is threatened... proclaim that no one has the authority to destroy unborn life... insist that every child is a unique and unrepeatable gift of God." And Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who is currently being considered for sainthood, prophetically stated, "In the future we will be known as Catholics not because we defend, honor, and declare ourselves to be followers of Christ[1] but because we defend life." I could quote thousands of others; but in short, when it comes to protecting innocent human life, the Catholic Church will lovingly, but firmly, demand that it be done.
Yet, in this Catholic, and thus pro-life, hub which is Italy, millions of unborn babies are legally killed every year. You see, abortion is not just an American scandal– it's a worldwide scandal. And here in Italy, approximately one out of every four children is killed by an abortionist[2].
As an American pro-lifer, it's easy to get caught up in working to overturn Roe. And, of course, this is a vital undertaking. John Paul II once called pro-life work "the most important work on earth." But we must not forget that unborn children all over the world are denied their right to life every day (126,000 to be exact[3]), and every one of them is just as worthy of life as an American child.
The U.S. is moving in the right direction. There is good reason to believe that within the next two generations, we will live in an abortion-free America for the first time since 1973. But we have to realize that many nations haven't had their Roe v. Wade yet. For them, abortion is not finally being shoved out, but is just now seeping in. They are not moving toward justice, but away from it. Indeed, even when Roe is overturned, our pro-life work is far from finished.
So how does the rest of the the world currently fare in abortion legality? Where do we need to abolish child-killing and implement pro-life legislation? Let's take a look:
Green represents laws protecting life. Yellow represents laws allowing exceptions for abortion. And red represents abortion on demand.
So much red. So much blood.
But there is hope. Human Life International, for instance, is the largest international pro-life organization and missionary in the world. With 99 satellite offices in 87 countries, it generates effective obstruction to the culture of death through training, equipping, and mobilizing pro-life leaders across the world [4]. Similar groups defending life on a worldwide level include the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, Adoption Network, Bethany Christian Services, Birthright International, Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, EFRAT, and Hope for Children, Inc. among nearly 60 others [5]. How encouraging is that?!
I am excited to visit Ireland next month. As a nation that recognizes human abortion as a crime against the human race, it boasts the lowest maternal death rate in the world[6]. Should we be surprised? We already know abortion causes all kinds of problems for women: a 50% increased risk of ectopic pregnancy[7], uterine perforations and damages, pelvic infection, life-threatening internal bleeding, future infertility, dangerous scar tissue, chlamydia trachomatis, chronic abdominal pain, a two-to-threefold increased risk of miscarriage after two abortions, and even death. Post-abortive women are also more likely to suffer complications with future pregnancies, including "bleeding in the first and third trimesters, abnormal presentations and premature rupture of the membranes, abruptio placentae, fetal distress, low birth weight, short gestation, and major malformations"[8]. Additionally, eight separate medical organizations have confirmed that abortion increases a woman's risk of breast cancer, and that for women over the age of 30 at the time of their abortion, this increase is by 110%[9,8]. The list of physical complications goes on and on; not to mention the devastating emotional, psychological, and spiritual effects of this supposedly "simple medical procedure." How refreshing it will be to step foot in Ireland and know that, at least on that pro-life ground, women are not being violated and victimized in these horrifying ways.
Let's work towards more "Irelands": more life, more love, more justice, more respect for humanity. Let's demand less "Italys": less suffering, less killing, less crying, less destruction of innocent people. The worldwide movement is on. Are you a part of it?
Vita Pro Omni!
[1] For many do this without protecting that same Christ's children
[2] Wm. Robert Johnston (http://pages.prodigy.net/wrjohnston/policy/abortion/ab-italy.html)
[3] CBR Worldwide (http://www.abortionno.org/world.html)
[4] Human Life International (http://www.hli.org/index.php/about/mission)
[5] Priests for Life (http://www.priestsforlife.org/plgroups/international.htm)
[6] Unicef (http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ireland_statistics.html)
[7] BNET (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3634/is_199807/ai_n8787580/)
[8] Abort 73 (http://www.abort73.com/abortion/abortion_risks)
[9] The Coalition on Abortion (http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/)
Catherine,
ReplyDeleteI always read your entires with enthusiasm, and your points are always so well written and thought provoking. The bulk of the above article is well worth our consideration. Nonetheless, it may not be the best time to hold up Ireland as a pinnacle of love and justice. RIght now the Catholic Church in Ireland is going through a very painful revelation of many sexual abuses committed by its clergy, not unlike what the American Church went through some years back (and in some ways is still going through). Just this week the Irish Bishops met with the Holy Father to discuss the future of the Church in their country, how to heal from these terrible crimes against humanity, and how to ensure that such things never happen again. While the country is to be commended for its stance against abortion, now may not be the right time to hold it up as a model of human rights, particularly form a Catholic perspective. It may be asking for lashing out from the other side who would see the Church hang for the sins of a relatively few number of her priests. Just my two cents.
Thank you for your thoughts, Mr. Tawney! You know how much I always respect and appreciate your "two cents."
ReplyDeleteI had no idea about the current state of the Catholic Church in Ireland... How tragic! Thank you for informing me. Ireland's situation sounds like a good example of the fact that being pro-life extends far past protecting unborn children. Ireland may have the right stance on abortion, but if sexual abuses are occurring, the dignity of all life is obviously not being upheld.
I'd just like to point out that in no way is "humoral immunity" a side-effect of anything except being a human. You seem like a smart enough person to take on your side of this argument, but checking your sources (and broadening them away from mostly pro-life websites) will serve you well. Remember that just because something is written on the internet does not make it true. Maybe try analyzing statistics yourself from more respected sources that are less opinionated and more fact-based.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your constructive criticism regarding my sources and statistics. I am going to work on broadening those, as I do use many pro-life websites. That doesn't mean they're wrong, but it can only be beneficial to use the most "neutral" source possible. One such source that I do use, and that many pro-life websites use for the same reason you're bringing up, is the Alan Guttmacher Institute- Planned Parenthood's research arm. If anything, that would be biased against my position, but I have found that both pro-life and pro-choice sources are in agreement that abortion physically harms women.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right about humoral immunity. The site described humoral immunity in relation to postabortal pelvic infection, and i misread it. It was my mistake, not the site's, and I appreciate you pointing it out to me! I have corrected it on my post. I am always glad when someone catches an error I have made, because although I certainly have my stance on abortion, I want any facts I present in relation to that stance to be sound, unbiased, and accurate. Thanks again.