Social Justice means protecting the most vulnerable

By Dr Rachel Bradley, Director of the Office of Life, Marriage & Family

Catholic Social Justice Sunday is coming up soon on 27 August. It’s a time to think about how our faith informs our approach to social, economic and ecological justice, especially with respect to the most vulnerable amongst us.

Respect for human dignity is a bedrock principle of Catholic social justice teaching. There are no human persons in our society more vulnerable and excluded from rights and protection than the unborn.

The destruction of innocent human life through legally sanctioned abortion is staggering in its magnitude.

Seventy-three million unborn children worldwide are killed every year through abortion (Guttmacher Institute). Over 19 percent of all pregnancies in Australia end in termination (childrenbychoice.org), either by using the RU486 medication before nine weeks of pregnancy, or by surgical abortion later.

All human life is precious, and many lives are also lost through war and violence.

We should aim to protect human life in all situations, and at all stages of development, but we have a special obligation to the unborn, as they are unable to speak for themselves.  

We cannot divide human beings into those who are worthy and unworthy of life depending on whether they are wanted or not and still claim that every human being has innate dignity and worth.

Euphemisms abound for supporters of abortion. Calls for ‘reproductive justice’ and access to ‘basic healthcare’, concern for bodily autonomy and ‘the right to choose’ are attempts to cloak this, the greatest social injustice of our time, in false colours. Let us not be deceived.

Our highly sexualised culture encourages casual sexual relationships without commitment or responsibility, the logical consequence of which has been the demand for unrestricted rights to abortion.  

Those who have complications in pregnancy or issues with the development of their unborn or those in a difficult social situation are often pressured or coerced into abortion.

We must respond with real love. They need to find us ready with practical help, emotional and spiritual support.

Deep pain that has been suppressed as a consequence of a child lost to abortion, can erupt in depression, anxiety and self-condemnation years later.

We also need to pray unceasingly and fast for an end to abortion. We need to support and love those who have been through an abortion and be a conduit of God’s unfailing love and forgiveness for those who turn to Him, whatever has happened in the past.

Christ can heal all our wounds when we surrender all this hurt and guilt to Him, but we must do our best to act against the culture of death and remember His words, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did to the least of these brothers of mine, you did to me” (Matthew 25:40).