Catholics Respect for Life Encompasses All Life

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Looking across the self-described “pro-life” groups in Utah, it is clear that for many, their focus is far narrower than Catholic teaching. While these pro-life groups focus diligently on protecting the lives of unborn children, there is no mention of the many other lives that Catholic teaching includes in the Church’s call to respect all life.

Catholic respect for life certainly includes respect for unborn lives, but also for immigrants dying in the sand of the Arizona desert or in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea as they seek desperately for a life of dignity.  

Catholic respect for life also includes the lives of individuals the broader society may deem “worthless,” such as the lives of those who are homeless or drug addicted or who have committed heinous crimes.

We respect the lives of the sick and the dying, the lives of people struggling with depression, and the lives of people with disabilities.

And in this age of political vitriol, we respect people with whom we vehemently disagree. We also respect  the lives of people of all races, ethnicities, religions or non-religions, political persuasions or aversions, genders, sexual orientation, and whatever other labels humans create to differentiate ourselves from one another.

Rather than limit ourselves to a definition of pro-life that focuses on just one stage or phase of life, Catholics maintain a consistent respect for the dignity and sanctity of each and every life. We do so for some of the same reasons pro-life groups focus on babies – because we recognize that every life has potential, even the lives of those who appear to be squandering that potential at a given moment.

Yes, the child in the womb is utterly defenseless and full of promise. It deserves protection and a chance to meet its full potential. It is true, too, that its mom deserves better options than abortion when having a child appears overwhelmingly difficult. If we truly respect life, as a nation we should be doing far more to make sure pregnant women have what they need to bring a child into the world and raise it to be a functioning adult. We also need to do more to address the continual trauma of sexual assault through, in part, better education for young men about the value of women and respect for their human dignity.

As a church of both/and (Jesus is both human and divine, we are saved by both faith and good works) we must not limit our efforts to respect all lives. We can protect both the lives of the unborn and the lives of the elderly. We can lift up pregnant women as well as people experiencing homelessness. We can value the full human potential of a child in the womb in addition to that  of a migrant crossing a border in an effort to reach their full potential.

Granted, each of us only has so much capacity to take on the problems of the world. We must discern for ourselves where our talents and passions are best utilized. Unfortunately, there are some Catholic faithful who insist we all take the same path, a tactic that would render us a faith of either/or rather than both/and. While their passion for their particular area of concern is needed, no issue exists in a vacuum. Our world also needs people passionately advocating for a whole host of changes locally, nationally and internationally if we are to build God’s peace on earth.

The both/and nature of our faith is a reflection of the many connections between social, political, economic and cultural actions, and the need for people willing to be advocates on many different levels. Catholics deeply engaged in issues around poverty are having an impact on abortion as well, because studies show that finances are a primary reason many women choose abortion. Catholics seeking to end systemic racism will also have an impact on poverty and criminal justice, among other areas. Pro-life Catholics advocating for the needs of pregnant women will make a strong statement in support of not only unborn babies, but also families.

We Catholics are more than just “pro-life,” we Respect Life. Being “pro” something is the easy part; respecting even the lives of those we find “unworthy” and ensuring they have the same access to a life of dignity is much harder and the call of every baptized Catholic.

Jean Hill is the director of the Diocese of Salt Lake City’s Office of Life, Justice and Peace. Contact her at jean.hill@dioslc.org.