The Future of the Pro-Life Movement

I’ve been involved in the pro-life movement since I was about 5 years old, when my parents took me to my first March for Life in Washington, D.C. Growing up, it wasn’t unusual to spend a Saturday morning praying for an end to abortion in front of an abortion clinic in my hometown, and we could always count on joining the Life Chain, where hundreds of people stood along a major highway holding signs defending life. We volunteered at a Birthright crisis pregnancy center, and my parents made sure to add a petition for an end to abortion in our family Rosary.

I must admit that I’m beginning to despair of the future of the pro-life movement, however. Not because more people are becoming pro-choice, but because I see nothing but apathy among the vast majority of Catholics. Perhaps people thought that once Roe v. Wade was overturned, the battle was won—but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, last year there were 1.13 million abortions in our country, which is a 20% increase over the past six years. The other reason for the apathy is perhaps a resignation that since abortion has been accepted as normal in America for over 50 years, some may believe that there’s nothing we can do to stop it.

But as Edmund Burke famously said, “The only thing needed for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.” We may wring our hands over this topic—or perhaps just ignore it—but as Mother Teresa said, “The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion. It is a war against the child.” Indeed, it is the preeminent priority of our time (as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stated) for three reasons: first, because of the vast numbers of lives lost; second, because of the total innocence of the baby; and third, because of the fundamental rupture of the most sacred human bond: that of mother and child.

Please know that if you have suffered the regret of having an abortion, God is waiting to forgive you. This article is not meant as a judgment upon the women who, out of fear or distress, made the choice to end the lives of their children—only God knows the anguish you endured. But once you have accepted God’s forgiveness, you can offer a powerful witness to the sanctity of all life by speaking out against abortion. The most moving part of the March for Life, which unfailingly brings tears to my eyes, is the line of women holding signs that say, “I Regret My Abortion.” What a powerful statement—one that can move hearts!

As we are in Respect Life Month, it’s worth reflecting upon both the urgent need for Catholics to take up the mantle of standing up for life, and the ways in which we are called to do so. First, let us consider the need—we are legitimately horrified at the townspeople of Dachau who allowed the concentration camp to run its machinery of death in their backyard, without protest. How are we not horrified by the fact that unborn babies are killed right down the street in many towns in our country? There is an abortion clinic a mere eight miles from my church in Connecticut, and it is still a struggle to motivate my parishioners to keep a vigil in front of it, even for one hour. We cannot plead ignorance—we can only plead apathy, and what a flimsy excuse that is. If we knew that a school shooting was taking place daily at a certain place, we would move with utmost urgency to stop it. Are we more callous to this invisible but even more egregious violation of the dignity of human life?

Once our hearts have been convicted, we must act! First, that means prioritizing the pro-life cause at the polling booth in November, which can determine the fate of legalized abortion in our country. If every Catholic prioritized this issue, then abortion would essentially be ended. Second, we ought to pray for an end to this travesty. Changing laws is less vital than changing hearts—and only God’s grace, brought into this world through prayer, has the strength to bring to conversion those who support this barbaric practice. Third, support alternatives—the network of crisis pregnancy centers throughout the country that are on the front lines of helping the frightened unwed mothers. Our financial donations, baby supplies, and volunteer hours can mean the difference between life and death. Fourth, teach others about this issue—I was very young when my parents taught me about the reality of abortion, and although it shocked me, it also galvanized within my young soul the desire to end this atrocity. Don’t be complicit through silence—we ought to make our voice heard through letters to the editor, teaching our kids in an age-appropriate way, and not being ashamed to bring up Christ’s teaching on this matter when it surfaces during conversations with friends.

But finally, and perhaps most pertinently, come to a peaceful and prayerful protest. One may question the impact of such a demonstration, but I believe it is vitally important. Our physical presence shows drivers and passersby that we will not allow this atrocity to take place unmourned, that these unborn children will not have their lives snuffed out unwitnessed and unloved. We will mourn for them; we love them; we stand for them—and for their mothers, who need our love and support to raise their children amidst difficult circumstances. We believe that prayers are not just empty words. They really do have an impact, and the grace called down—especially within the physical proximity of a clinic—can be the tipping point for a mother on the cusp. Certainly, our presence will prick the conscience of the abortion providers and supporters; merely to be reminded that there are others who see abortion as a tragedy will plant a seed in the back of their minds that perhaps this isn’t truly best for women. It is also a powerful demonstration to our kids, and to each other, that there are some issues in this world worth taking a stand for.

The Catholic world is not becoming more pro-choice. On the contrary, when I teach my public-school kids in Confirmation class about the evils of abortion, they are unfailingly horrified, and come down solidly in the pro-life camp. But despite the youthful enthusiasm for life (manifested by robust turnouts at the March for Life), this has not translated into local activism or the burning desire to put that pro-life stance into action. I truly fear for the future of the pro-life movement, which is being suffocated by apathy—but it needn’t be this way. Find a way to get involved, bring your kids, and let us work to make abortion unthinkable for future generations.