Catholic church’s pro-life views more simply pro-birth

The Catholic Church clearly defines itself as pro-life. The basic statement goes something like this: Protecting the sanctity and dignity of life from conception to natural death.

Although this is an unequivocal and inspiring statement, how is this value actually lived in the Church?

I will focus on three specific pro-life issues: abortion, war and starvation. The lens I use in this examination is simple and practical: pulpit or preaching time, education and call to action.

By education I mean teaching that comes via preaching, Sunday bulletins containing pastoral teachings, and whatever teaching may come to the steady churchgoer.

Abortion: Most Catholics who attend church regularly can offer a cogent explanation for the Church’s stand and teaching on abortion. It is a topic touched on with some regularity from the pulpit.

During times of national elections or when legislation is being considered that may impact the abortion issue, parishioners are given relevant data and encouraged to let their legislators know their position. On the issue of abortion, the church affords pulpit time, education and call to action.

War: The early Christian church interpreted Jesus’ teachings as against war and the use of violence. In the time of Emperor Constantine, two significant things happened that began to change this interpretation: a personal vision of the emperor that became the basis of the Just War Theory, and the wedding of church and state as Christianity became the religion of the empire.

In contrast to abortion, you would be hard-pressed to find Catholics who are conversant with the principles of the Just War Theory.

When President Bush was pushing to invade Iraq, we heard from the pulpit that Pope John Paul II had written to the president taking a stand against the war. Once the war began, we heard little to nothing more. I cannot remember any church questioning of the war in Afghanistan.

In the recent presidential election, we were instructed to vote our conscience relative to the candidates’ stand on abortion; nothing was mentioned about war.

It is significant to note that when Catholics stand up to protest war they are seen as radical or on the fringe, while those who fight for the rights of the unborn are held as models of Christian witness.

Starvation: On average, 38,000 children die each day of starvation in our world. That is one child every 2.4 seconds, or 266,000 children from Sunday worship to Sunday worship. And this is only the children.

I wonder why this fact is not a pro-life banner and paraded before our awareness with startling regularity. Of course one gets appeals almost daily in the mail, and some percentage of these appeals are from Christian church organizations.

But what about the larger picture – analysis and education around the political and economic policies of our country that support, abet and ensure this condition. And following the education, where is the call to action?

At the heart of these three issues is the call of the Catholic Church to live her prophetic role in the world. Abortion is the sole issue on which the Church is willing to make a concerted pro-life stand. This does not warrant the claim of being pro-life, but simply pro-birth.

If the Catholic Church was willing to name itself more accurately – that is, pro-birth and not pro-life – perhaps there would develop the aspiration and determination to grow into the call to be truly pro-life. This is my hope.

I would like to invite all Christians to reflect on their church experience through this lens. How does your church meet the prophetic call to be pro-life?