Pro-Choice Catholic Testimony

I have been Catholic my entire life. For most of my life, I have attended weekly Mass and Holy Days with very few exceptions. Roe v. Wade passed when I was very young, so I have taken for granted that this was the law of the land. I have always been pro-choice. In fact, like a majority of Catholics, there were certain teachings of the church that I disagreed with, but I always felt that, at the core, the religion aligned with my views about Jesus and how we should treat others in the world.

I was fine with the church believing that abortion was wrong because I was still free to believe otherwise and because women in this country had the ability to choose as well. But I noticed over the years that the anti-abortion voice has become louder and louder. The church has ignored the separation of church and state, which I feel is so important in such a diverse society, country, and world. I continued to ignore this because, in my local parishes in Southern California, I felt that I mostly heard a message of tolerance and inclusion. Since I have moved to Northern Virginia, the anti-abortion voice in Catholic churches near me is much louder. I have had difficulty finding a parish where I hear about compassion and tolerance instead of harsh judgment. I thought I had found a parish that had good messaging about social and racial equality, but once Roe v. Wade was overturned, I heard the anti-abortion attitude that I strongly opposed.

Church leaders are quick to denounce pro-choice positions but never discuss practical ways to help reduce abortions: allowing effective birth control, access and affordability to birth control, proper sex education for young people, and understanding human frailty and the many complicated and tragic reasons that women might seek abortions. There have been situations over the years, like the abuse cases, that made me question my choice to remain Catholic, but the overturning of Roe v. Wade was the final straw for me. I thought that I could continue to be one of many Catholics who attend Mass and ignore the things I disagree with, but I think this is going to be the issue that breaks my relationship with the religion. I have made the decision to stop attending Mass. I’m unsure of my plan because I feel that spirituality is a very important part of life. For now, I can’t continue to sit silently in mass while the priest talks about the triumph of this court decision as if I agree with and support that thinking.

I had no idea that Catholics for Choice existed. I’ve been watching lots of different interviews on YouTube with various religious leaders and scholars. I happened to see CFC in an interview with Samantha Bee several months ago, along with representatives of the Jewish and Muslim faiths. I am very encouraged that people from different religious groups are speaking out since Roe was overturned. I am grateful to have this platform to speak out. I am a Catholic woman who supports the right of women to have control and choice over their own bodies. I believe in racial and gender equality and social justice. I have always firmly believed in the separation of church and state. One religious view should not be imposed on the entire society.