How churches can make abortion unnecessary, not just unthinkable
The greatest threat to our nation’s health isn’t political tensions or economic pressures. It’s a culture that has grown comfortable with discrimination, dismissing the most fundamental truth: every human life, from the moment of conception, holds infinite dignity and worth.
Pope Leo XIV, for example, recently addressed believers on this very issue. He emphasized that, “From the moment of its conception, life must be guarded with the greatest care.” To put it bluntly, the world has largely abandoned this mandate, leaving the preborn child vulnerable to the violent predations of abortion in every nation. Followers of Jesus — you and I — are called to stand in the gap as the vanguard and voice for these innocent victims.
Today there are countless women who face unexpected pregnancies, and the unfortunate reality is that our culture — and often, our laws — tell these mothers that abortion is the easiest route to a life free of “inconveniences.”
Recently, I came across a viral news story about a mother named “Maria” who alleged the state of Texas “forced her” to have her two children — an absurd contention, but Maria’s story exposes systemic failures to promote life at every level of society. In 2022, Maria learned she was pregnant with her first child. Severe morning sickness caused her to miss class, and instead of receiving accommodations, she was penalized academically. Her pregnancy also made it difficult to perform the functions of her job. Eventually, she lost both her job and her scholarship, and the future she worked so hard to build seemed to be slipping away.
After giving birth, Maria’s baby was admitted to the neonatal ICU, which created additional struggles because she had no reliable means of transportation to and from the hospital.
Less than a year later, Maria was in the same situation: pregnant and lacking support. Her boyfriend walked out on her, leaving her with two babies to raise on her own.
It’s stories like Maria’s that motivate me to demand better for moms and babies. As a mom of four children, including one due to be born any day, I know firsthand the exhaustion, sacrifices and uncertainty that can accompany motherhood. I cannot imagine facing those challenges while simultaneously worrying about losing my education, my livelihood, the support of my partner, or the ability to care for my children.
But what strikes me most about Maria's story is this: Not one of her hardships was caused by her children.
Maria’s struggles were compounded by an educational system that failed to accommodate her pregnancy; an employer unable or unwilling to support her; financial insecurity and a lack of dependable help.
Maria’s babies were never the problem. The absence of support in her life was the problem.
Our culture has to change. Period. Rather than pushing abortion as the “solution” to difficult circumstances, women like Maria deserve compassionate aid. These women deserve a strong community that will pray for and walk alongside them — even when that requires sacrifice. They need the Church, the hands and feet of the Divine Physician, to step up and meet them where they are.
In my work with Human Coalition, I have a front-row seat to the circumstances that drive women to seek abortion. And here’s the secret the abortion industry doesn’t want anyone to know: The circumstances that drive the vast majority of abortions are solvable. In fact, the majority of abortion-seeking women Human Coalition serves say they would prefer to parent if those circumstances were different.
And killing her child doesn’t solve any of the challenges that drive her to seek abortion in the first place. Killing her child doesn’t make her community more supportive, improve her financial situation, make her partner a man of integrity, or fix the discrimination that leads employers and schools to revoke jobs and scholarships. In fact, it does the opposite — it reinforces the abusive and discriminatory attitudes that have made abortion socially acceptable.
Doing the hard work of addressing those root causes is what a culture of life looks like, and it is precisely where the Church has an extraordinary opportunity to lead. The Christian treasury of teachings on sexual integrity, marriage, and family is needed today more than ever.
Believers have never understood charity as merely an abstract principle because our faith demands action. We are called to feed the hungry, shelter the vulnerable, comfort the suffering and defend those who cannot defend themselves.
That responsibility extends to the frightened college student staring at a positive pregnancy test. To the single mother struggling to pay rent. To the woman whose boyfriend has abandoned her. To the mother wondering how she will afford diapers, groceries, or another month's electricity.
We must pray for an end to abortion. But our prayers should also move us to examine what we are personally doing to make that vision a reality.
Are we supporting our local pregnancy centers? Are we helping mothers in our churches who are struggling? Are we creating communities where women feel welcomed, supported and empowered to choose life?
Or have we become content to defend the dignity of human life in principle while overlooking the women who need our help in practice?
Mary’s example in Scripture (Luke 1:38) reminds us that saying yes to life requires faith, courage, and sacrifice. But no mother was meant to carry those sacrifices alone.
If we truly want to make abortion unthinkable, we must also work to ensure it’s viewed as unnecessary.
That work begins in our homes, our churches and our communities, wherever a mother needs someone willing to say: “You are not alone, your child is not a burden and your future is worth fighting for.”
A culture of life will not be built by words alone; it will be built by love put into action.
Clare Ath is the senior policy analyst at Human Coalition, one of the largest pro-life organizations in the nation, which operates a network of telecare and brick-and-mortar women’s care clinics across the country.
