A Time to Heal: Responding to Roe v. Wade

My mom called me weeping last Friday: “Have you heard?” she asked, “Roe vs. Wade–it’s overturned.” She was weeping out of joy, as are many of us in our community. We’ve prayed for an end to abortion, some for decades–and this ruling was a massive step in that direction. But my thoughts almost immediately turned to the women who would weep for an entirely different reason: Fear, shame, hatred. Of their circumstances, of themselves.

As Catholics, we cannot let the victory of overturning Roe vs. Wade prevent us from serving women who have experienced, are considering, or are vulnerable to abortion. In fact, we, especially within Magdala, should be the first to offer our prayers, support, and compassion to these women, knowing that the pornography and abortion industries have strong ties. One encourages the divorce of sexuality and commitment, the other takes away the consequences of that divorce–a vicious  cycle that continues today. Both are founded on a denial of the inherent dignity of the human person. We see a viscerally angry reaction from many women (and men) in response to the ruling precisely because they’ve been victims of this cycle, and have never been offered something better. 

It’s a sobering reality to see this tie between pornography, sexual sin, and abortion. One of Magdala’s leaders beautifully offered this anecdote in our group chat after the news of the ruling had come: “I’m thinking especially of all the abortion vulnerable women working in the sex industry, especially any who I may have hurt through my own porn use. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us all!” 

Those of us within Magdala’s community - if we don’t also find ourselves within the demographic of women who have experienced the pain of abortion - have implicitly encouraged those painful experiences to happen through our own participation in pornography consumption and sexual sin. 

Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

However, there’s hope in the midst of our most grievous fault, whether it’s abortion, sexual addiction and sin, or both. I’m currently in the third trimester of pregnancy with my first child, a daughter. My most grievous fault–years of giving into the lies of the porn industry, feeding the cycle of a divorce between sexuality and its ability to give life–has not taken away my ability to carry life now; to honor the gift of being a human person, made in the image and likeness of God, within my very self. The women who weep out of shame and pain, or scream in anger, don’t need to be told abortion is murder, they need to be told this: their capacity for bearing life, whether physically or spiritually, is not something to be tossed aside, and it hasn’t been taken from them no matter what they’ve done. 

Abortion will not cease to be a desirable option until we address the root: the havoc sex industries have wreaked on sexuality, especially female sexuality. Before the abortion industry could make infants dispensable and worthless, the porn industry needed to do it to women. As Ecclesiastes 3 says, “To every thing there is a season…a time to kill, and a time to heal.” This is our time to heal: heal women, their bodies and souls from the tragedy and trauma they’ve experienced, and the ways the Church has not stepped up to help in the past. 

To our sisters in Christ who have been wounded by abortion, know that the women of Magdala are with you, and that we repent for the ways we’ve fueled an industry that has such a strong hand in encouraging the one that causes your weeping. We also offer our own lives as a witness; nothing is beyond the tender, healing hand of Christ. He embraces all of us and replaces the lies that have surrounded us with the gentle strength of His Truth. 

Your body is good. You are good. And you, too, are welcome here.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us–and heal us all.