Could the overturning of Roe v Wade be a teachable moment for our society?

By Ben Smith, Director of the Office of Life, Marriage and Family

The recent US Supreme Court decision to overturn the Roe v Wade abortion ruling of 1973 has stirred up a range of strong reactions from many different groups. The nature of this issue can polarise people into supporting either the rights of unborn children or the rights of women. But there are other ways to approach this issue.

In an editorial published in Vatican News, Andrea Tornielli believes that the recent decision: “could provide an opportunity to reflect on life, the protection of the defenceless and the discarded, women’s rights, and the protection of motherhood.”

Over the last 50 years since the original Roe v Wade decision, a range of economic, legal and social changes have occurred that provide more support for mothers. The Federal Sex Discrimination Act (1984) outlawed discrimination against women on the basis of pregnancy, breastfeeding or family responsibility in Australia. Furthermore, the Federal Government has introduced various welfare and family payments that support mothers at the time of their child’s birth and also for their ongoing upkeep.

However, despite these changes it is not uncommon for pregnant women to feel unsupported. This lack of support can arise from their male partners, family, friends, their employer or even their doctor. Pregnant women in these situations need access to counselling and other services to relieve their anxiety and give them the confidence that they will be supported during and after their pregnancy. The Church can and does play a role in this work.

From the perspective of unborn children, scientific research and development over the last 50 years has highlighted the amazing developmental journey that occurs in the womb and that the unborn are far from being a blob of cells that are part of a women’s body. Today, 3D ultrasound imaging is capable of displaying the intricate details and movements of unborn babies and can detect their heartbeat as early as six weeks of pregnancy. Other research has found that babies share their stem cells with their mothers and that babies begin to learn language skills in their last 10 weeks in the womb by listening to their mother’s voice.

The recent US Supreme Court decision does allow us as a society to reflect on how all the stakeholders in the journey of life are given dignity and supported both biologically and socially. Rather than taking sides we need to learn how we can love and support both the mother and the child.