During the 2018 campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment to the Irish Constitution that outlawed procured abortion, I saw a placard with “Get your rosaries off our ovaries.”
Given that I like plays on words, I thought this was quite clever, distilling a lot about attitudes of Church and State.
The attitudes of Church and State came to mind as I read yet more reports on, and saw the photographs of, starving, wounded and dying children in Gaza.
What does “pro-life” mean?
It reminded me again of why I do not identify as “pro-life”, even though I am very much “for life.”
Because I do not know what “pro-life” means.
It strikes me more as narrowly anti-abortion than actively campaigning for the life of children born and living in appalling deprivation and poverty.
Pro-life’s missing presence in the public square
I don’t see “pro-life” campaigners protesting in the streets against family poverty and homelessness that affects children’s development for their whole lives.
I don’t see them campaigning against gender violence, which blights so many people’s lives and makes their existence a living hell.
I certainly have never seen them campaign on climate change and ecological destruction, which is affecting not only human lives, but the life of all of creation, without which humans will cease to exist.
Political alliances with moral consequences
The American Catholic hierarchy favoured the Republican candidate for President because of his expediently declared anti-abortion stance.
This influenced many voters to vote him into office; however, without the support and tacit agreement of the American government, the Israeli government could not carry out what is now ethnic cleansing and genocide in Palestine.
The silence of the shepherds
Where are the calls of the American hierarchy for the protection of children’s lives now?
They are extraordinarily silent. Where are the clamouring voices of hierarchies of Europe and elsewhere? Where is the Catholic “pro-life” movement now?
Why is it not campaigning for the children of Gaza?
Moral consistency – a seamless garment
Which brings us back to the question: if you are a Catholic, what does “pro-life” actually mean?
Why does the destruction of a life in the womb count as worth fighting against, but fighting for the lives of children already born seems a lesser imperative?
Such children are deprived of the essentials needed to live.
Children who have suffered appalling physical injuries, many of whom had to be operated on without anaesthesia. Children who are now suffering severe, and in many cases, terminal malnutrition. Children whose lives are a living hell.
I will never identify as “pro-life” because I genuinely do not know what it means.
- Angela Hanley studied theology as a mature student, graduating in 2010. In 2015 she completed a research MA on Catholic same-sex relationships. She is currently undertaking PhD studies. She has published many articles and two books, Whose a la Carte Menu?: Exploring Catholic Themes in Context and What happened to Fr Sean Fagan?