Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, peace, and I pray that God grant us and our families and friends every grace and blessing!

The 2024 Election approaches and I wanted to provide a commentary on abortion and why it’s so important for us to consider it when voting.

Abortion is such a blurry issue, but it’s the one issue that Catholics can no longer be blurry on. Some advocates for abortion will say people should have a right to do what they desire with their bodies; others will cite an attitude that the government, and especially some “old men” running the government, have no right to tell women what they can and can’t do with their bodies. Others will say in a pro-choice manner, “I am not committing abortion and I don’t see why others can’t choose for themselves.”

All these thoughts are deficient.

We must look at abortion as the killing of unborn human beings. So, as with any other injustice, society takes action to protect victims: starting with the most fundamental of rights, no “born” human is able to take the life of, or murder, any other “born” human. If someone maliciously and in a premeditated manner takes another’s life, he would be guilty of a very serious murder that in some states is punishable by the death penalty. The severity of the penalty reflects the severity of the act: the murder victim is deprived of his most important right, to exist and be able to live his life. This very important guardrail of outlawing murder is placed in our society’s laws to protect the life of human beings; so, abortion, the killing of unborn children, also needs to be outlawed. (My dear people, in terms of terrible situations of rape and incest, let us pray to God for the conversion of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes, and that God grant comfort and justice to the victims and all those impacted. In these situations, the Catholic church implements healthcare directives to prevent conception (USCCB Ethical and Religious Directives for… 6th edition), but teaches that should a baby be conceived, abortifacient medicine or abortion is never the answer.)

Other examples of laws and policies to protect basic rights are like laws against theft, violence like assault and abuse, vandalism, and policies against harassment in corporate settings, bullying in schools, etc. These laws and policies protect fundamental realities needed to live and prosper; thinking of abortion, what’s more fundamental than being able to exist, to be born?

It follows, then, that the argument of bodily autonomy, of being able to do with one’s body what one desires, is invalid. It is only logical that we do not have the complete ability to do as we desire in our actions because our actions usually have consequences, and sometimes for others: in the case of abortion, a human being in the womb is being killed. No one can have this type of autonomy.

In terms of the argument of being subject to “old men” in the government telling others what to do, especially women, and what they do with their bodies, this argument is extremely immature. Has a government or those with power, and in the US, ever oppressed people? Yes, of course. Yet, citizens are called to respect the legitimate authority of the governments of the places where they live. So, should the leaders be older, young, male, female, white, black, Hispanic, etc., the laws must be followed. Historically, men have been the government leaders, but in common sense issues like abortion, who passes the law does not matter.

In terms of pro-choice thinking, that others can choose for themselves, as I described first in the article, we are called to eradicate all injustices through law.

The last thing I’ll share about abortion is that we must look closer at what is happening between a mother and her child when an unborn baby is killed through abortion to expand our moral perspective: a pregnant woman is deciding that the child in her womb can no longer live. This action is most morally egregious and a serious betrayal of trust because it flagrantly goes against nature: a child entrusted by a woman’s nature and God to the woman’s care is treated in the completely opposite manner, the child’s life is terminated. What would be our reaction if a mother smothers her “born” infant to death? What’s the difference if the child is in the womb? God sees this action in the same aggrieved manner (see Diary of St. Faustina #1276) and the Catholic Church even goes on to apply the most severe penalty of excommunication to anyone who procures an abortion, or anyone who helps someone procure an abortion. (I must add that many who have had abortions may have acted out of ignorance of the severity of their actions; God’s infinite and omnipotent mercy is always available to all and the penalty of excommunication can be lifted usually in confession at a local parish. There are also many Catholic organizations and ministries like Project Rachel and Project Joseph in many cities that are available to help families move forward towards healing after an abortion.)

In this article I am by no means advocating for one political party, but as the Archbishop of Miami Thomas Wenski mentioned in a 2020 article on voting, though we have to contend with other issues as citizens, abortion isn’t just another issue, but a grave injustice to the basic right of life that needs to be addressed. He adds that voting for any candidate that supports abortion needs to be very carefully weighed, and in my opinion not much will offset permitting the killing of unborn children, human beings. And, Catholics can never vote for a pro-abortion candidate hoping to benefit in the future from abortions, or hoping those close to them will be able to benefit; voting in this manner, to directly benefit or hoping someone close to you directly benefits, is a mortal sin.

The Archbishop of Miami also gracefully mentions in this same article that our current politics is very troubled; the Archbishop says, “We need a new kind of politics — one focused on moral principles, not on polls; on the needs of the vulnerable, not the contributions of the powerful; and on the pursuit of the common good, not the demands of special interests.” He mentions we are often having to vote for the candidate that is “least ‘worse’.” Catholics must do something about this political “menu;” the time approaches for Catholics to start their own political party based chiefly on orthodox Catholic beliefs, including outlawing abortion, but also a political party deeply concerned with how any policy affects the poor and vulnerable, that likewise defends families and allows them to flourish, and one concerned with defending rights of religious liberty and parents’ rights in raising and influencing their children. The party should seek the common good of all citizens as much as possible, reflecting God’s universal goodness. The Archbishop mentions other serious issues any political party must address: “…marriage as a union of one man and one woman,…immigration, education,…racism,…the pursuit of justice and the promotion of peace.”

I am most grateful for your time and attention to my thoughts on this very important matter.

Abundant blessings to you and yours,

Juan B

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