Partner Toolkit: What Does the Catholic Church Say About Abortion?
Our movement can’t afford to avoid talking to pro-choice people of faith or ignore the religious overreach the Catholic church has over abortion laws around the world.
According to AP-NORC’s 2022 poll, at least 64% of Catholics are pro-choice, but we need your help encountering, educating, and emboldening them to share their values.
That’s why Catholics for Choice created this video explainer: What Does the Catholic Church Say About Abortion?
This short, engaging animated video discredits the claim that faith and abortion can’t mix. Abortion and faith can coexist — the Catholic church just doesn’t want you to know it.
We’d love for you to share this with your team and online community and consider using it in your work. The anti-abortion movement has long relied on shareable videos to distort the facts. It’s important that we do the same with accuracy, history, and justice on our side.
This digital toolkit includes:
- Links to the video on YouTube and Vimeo
- Sample social media posts
- Sample email copy
- FAQ to help answer any questions your community may have
- Follow-up resources
Start by watching our video below or at catholicsforchoice.org/change.
Links to the Video:
Sample Social Media Posts to Accompany Video:
- Were you today years old when you learned that abortion is neither shamed, discouraged, nor banned in the Bible? You’re not the only one. Learn more about the true history of abortion and the Catholic church from our friends at @Catholic4Choice.
- Myth: The Catholic church’s anti-abortion stance is unchanged and unchangeable.
Fact: the Vatican’s total abortion ban is barely a century old.
Learn more in this new video from @Catholic4Choice. - The Catholic church was founded in 33 CE. The Catholic hierarchy has been against abortion since 1917.
In the church’s 1,993 years of existence, only 108 have been spent with a codified prohibition on abortion.
Watch this new video from @Catholic4Choice to learn more: - Trivia: Where does the Bible talk about abortion?
Trick question… it doesn’t!
Watch this new video from @Catholic4Choice to learn more: - “Trad Caths” claim opposing abortion is an ancient church teaching. But there is nothing traditional about banning reproductive justice. This new video from @Catholic4Choice shares what the Catholic church actually says about abortion:
- Despite what the anti-abortion movement wants you to believe, abortion and faith can coexist. ❤️ Even the history of the Catholic church agrees — this new video from @Catholic4Choice explains:
- According to a 2025 Pew study, 60% of U.S. Catholics say the church should be more inclusive, even if that means changing some teachings.
Good news! The church can — and has — changed: its abortion ban is barely a century old. @Catholic4Choice shares the truth:
Sample Email Copy to Accompany Video [Non-Catholic Partners]:
Hi [Name],
For decades, the reproductive movement has been told abortion and faith can’t mix — but history tells a different story. This new, animated video explainer from Catholics for Choice — “What Does the Catholic Church Say about Abortion?” — discredits this argument in just 1 minute and 22 seconds, showing:
- The Bible does not ban abortion.
- Popes and theologians have disagreed for centuries on when life begins.
- Saints have performed or written about abortions as acts of care.
This history matters for secular reproductive rights work because anti-abortion groups frequently use Catholic identity and religious rhetoric to justify healthcare bans and advance a broader Christian nationalist agenda. Knowing the true history equips all of us, Catholic or not, to push back against misinformation, counter religiously framed policy arguments, and engage meaningfully with feminists of faith.
As you know all too well, these difficult conversations are essential for building coalitions that can reach the “moveable middle” and resist religious overreach in law and policy. Plus, we know that the majority of people of faith support abortion access — we just need to encounter and embolden them. We’re hoping this video will help our movement accomplish this.
You can find the video and related resources here: https://www.catholicsforchoice.org/change
The anti-abortion movement has long relied on shareable videos to distort the facts. It’s important that we do the same with accuracy, history, and justice on our side.
In solidarity,
[Name/Org Name]
Sample Email Copy to Accompany Video [Catholic Partners]:
Hi [Name],
As Catholics, we’re often told abortion and faith can’t mix — but history tells a different story. A new video from Catholics for Choice — “What Does the Catholic Church Say about Abortion?” — discredits this argument in just 1 minute and 22 seconds, showing:
- The Bible does not ban abortion.
- Popes and theologians have disagreed for centuries on when life begins.
- Saints have performed or written about abortions as acts of care.
Knowing the true history equips all of us, including our non-Catholic allies, to push back against misinformation, counter religiously framed policy arguments, and engage meaningfully with feminists of faith.
As you know all too well, these difficult conversations are essential for building coalitions that can reach the “moveable middle” and resist religious overreach in law and policy. Plus, we know that the majority of people of faith support abortion access — we just need to encounter and embolden them. We’re hoping this video will help our movement accomplish this.
You can find the video and related resources here: https://www.catholicsforchoice.org/change
The anti-abortion movement has long relied on shareable videos to distort the facts. It’s important that we do the same with accuracy, history, and justice on our side.
In solidarity,
[Name/Org Name]
Want to learn more about St. Brigid? Download our pro-choice prayer cards!
DownloadAbortion is a part of church history. Women are a part of church history. Church teachings on abortion have changed, and we can change them again.
As Catholics for Choice, we are proud to continue the long tradition of pro-choice Catholicism.
