The pro-life movement has been on shifting ground since the 2022 Supreme Court decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson case that returned abortion lawmaking to the states.
Since then, Kentucky has had an abortion ban in place.
The church’s traditional focus in January on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion in 1972, is being recast with an emphasis on care for mothers and babies. “Love them Both” is the new landscape of the Catholic pro-life movement.
It’s emerging as themes for pro-life events and will be highlighted at the annual Pro-life Memorial Mass, set for Jan. 13 at St. Gabriel Church. It’s also helping to propel legislation that aims to ease the burden on mothers, particularly those in poverty.
There is reason to hope this approach will also begin to ease the divide between pro-life and pro-choice advocates. If these groups set aside their differences and work together to make abortion feel less necessary to parents in crisis, we have the potential to make real and lasting change.
Stuart Hamilton, the Archdiocese of Louisville’s pro-life coordinator, urged Catholics in an opinion piece in October to begin “the very difficult calling to learn how to boldly ‘love them both’ — babies and their mothers.”
“If we truly want to end the nightmare, we must address the fears of these young women. We must love and support them by any means necessary so they can feel confident enough to say yes to life,” he wrote, noting that abortion is still available in nearby states and through mail order drugs.
Here’s the good news: Hamilton’s call to action is one that most people in the pew can respond to, and should.
We can love them both through direct outreach.
Within the Archdiocese of Louisville are several charitable agencies that provide support to women in crisis, including Catholic Charities of Louisville, which offers a variety of programs that could use some volunteers.
Closer to home for Catholics is the emerging Walking With Moms in Need ministry. Parishes around the archdiocese are starting these parish-based committees that offer encouragement, accompaniment, assistance and financial support to mothers in crisis.
St. Agnes’ committee walked with a young mother from India last fall, as she gave birth and navigated the trials of single motherhood along with the accompanying financial difficulties. She is now independent again, though the St. Agnes group still provides accompaniment, committee member Nancy Brown told Record reporter Ruby Thomas.
“It was wonderful to be able to help someone in such a crucial time in their life,” said Brown. She told Thomas that the committee members felt like adoptive grandmothers.
They were able to find material and financial help for the young mother from two sources — a parish fundraiser and the LifeLine Fund, which is funded by the annual Opportunities for Life Collection.
The collection, which will be taken up the weekend of Jan. 20 and 21, provides financial assistance to pregnant women and new families in crisis. Walking With Moms in Need committees can direct the women they assist to that fund, administered by Catholic Charities.
And, of course, people may want to directly support their parish’s Walking With Moms in Need committee with donations or prayerful encouragement.
Prayer is something we can all do to better love them both. We may need to pray for an increase in compassion, that we may feel inspired to action. Or we may turn our focus to lawmakers and pray for their conversion of hearts as they consider legislation that “loves them both.” There are so many ways to talk this over with God.
The important thing, the crucial thing, is that we rise to the challenge to love them both.
MARNIE McALLISTER
Editor
