The pro-life movement, as I have known it intimately my entire life, has always been entwined with the Catholic Church. As a young child, I remember hearing, both at Mass and pro-life events, the hymn “I will never forget you,” echoing the voice of God from Isaiah 49, who asks, “Does a mother forget her baby, or a woman, the child within her womb? Yet, even if these forget … I will never forget my own.”
In my young mind, to be Catholic or Christian was to be pro-life. Now, with the June 24 U.S. Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade, I know that this is not the case as too many family and friends who call themselves Catholic decry the decision and defend abortion access.
My whole life has been coloured by Roe v. Wade. For as long as I can remember, my mother has spearheaded pro-life efforts in our community and beyond. Even though she has worked with many dedicated pro-lifers who were not Catholic, her pro-life work, including founding a pro-life resource centre that is now more than 40 years old, stems from her Catholic faith. Neither she, nor I, ever thought we would live to see the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
To be clear, the victory is not complete. The Dobbs decision handed down by U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 determined that there is no longer a federal constitutional right to abortion, thereby reverting the issue back to the state level. And, of course, Canadians have unrestricted access to abortion as there is no existing legislation on the matter in this country. But the overturning of Roe v. Wade is remarkable as a huge step towards saving unborn babies’ lives and, hopefully, changing hearts regarding the matter of abortion.
My first several trips on an airplane, starting at the age of 13, were to accompany my mom to international pro-life conferences, where I soaked up the energetic atmosphere and logical arguments of the many speakers. The pro-life movement always made sense to me on a purely logical level, but especially through the lens of faith – we do not destroy what God has created, the most sacred of his creation being human life.
At one time, perhaps up to 30 years ago, most of the residents of my predominantly Catholic town would have considered themselves pro-life. About the time I was in high school in the early 1990s, you could see the shift in attitudes happening. Roe v. Wade had shaped public opinion for 20 years at that point, and many Catholics were starting to be indifferent about their faith as an influence on how they lived. The cultural foundation of faith was slowly being replaced by the values of hardcore feminism and secularism, which were both freely promoted by mainstream media.
While I was surrounded by friends in my growing-up years who were pro-life by default, it’s a different story for my own children in 2022. I think it is safe to say that pro-life families are in the minority these days. I wonder, though, how many have just adopted what the secular culture has fed them without really thinking about what abortion really is? I think this is where the importance of Roe v. Wade comes in. Conversations are now happening, albeit mostly angry ones, but it’s a start in forcing people to think about what they believe and why. There is no denying the science that life begins at conception.
A key player in the pro-life movement of the future has to be the Church. It is rare that my children have heard a homily that mentions Church teaching on abortion. The average Catholic sitting in the pew would not be able to glean the Church’s stance on abortion just from attending Sunday Mass. The hierarchy of the Church has a unique opportunity right now to lead the way, to teach her people, and to stand up for the unborn, who cannot speak for themselves. Catholic families must do their part at home, ensuring children know respect for human life at all its stages, praying for the unborn, and volunteering in the pro-life movement.
Instead of avoiding a hard topic because it might alienate people, the Church needs to give people the truth they deserve. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you,” we are told by the prophet Jeremiah. To be Catholic is to be pro-life. Undoubtedly, the countless rosaries, holy hours, Masses, prayers, fasts, marches, and sacrifices offered by lay people and many clergy over the years helped bring about this recent Supreme Court decision. The job is not done. We will need to continue the fight to make sure every baby has a chance to be born.
Lazzuri writes from her home in Nova Scotia, where she lives with her husband, six children, and her mom. She can be reached at clarelazzuri@gmail.com.
