On Friday, another pro-life protest broke out in Philadelphia. The site was the center city “Planned Parenthood” office and as has happened so often in the past, pro-life demonstrators were “praying” and then “calling out” (respectfully they say) to strangers who appeared about to enter the Planned Parenthood office. A Philadelphia State Senator happened to be present and went into a tirade against a pro-life mother and daughter telling them this was none of their business. Bad form to be sure and not very smart since his tirade got onto social media and you guessed it, more pro and against people arrived.
Seizing the opportunity the Catholic Archbishop (Chaput), called out for protecting the unborn. I wonder whether the Bishop was aware of the irony of his words. The Bishop is someone who has stonewalled the investigations into priest child abuse and yet he feels compelled to speak out on women’s rights. Hmmm.
There is no question in my mind that many pro-life advocates genuinely feel that abortion is wrong. To this group the fetus is life and is destine to live in suburbia, go to great schools, and when an adult, saves the world. Unfortunately, life is not that way. Planned Parenthood deals mostly with middle class to the very poor Americans who lack the means and knowledge to prevent unwanted pregnancies, or sadly learn that the fetus is defective or likely to be a risk to the mother herself.
The Catholic Church speaks of love yet until very recently shunned LGBTQ community members and still speaks of them in “defective” terms. Wouldn’t it be far more loving for the Church to welcome pregnant women and if the pregnancy is unwanted, to provide options including moral and accepting ways to end the pregnancy?
There should be no concern that “well to do” women will need the service of Planned Parenthood. Abortions for the well off are safe and widely available if you have the money. It seems life of the unborn is only a problem for the poor.