Denver Catholic

2 JANUARY 31-FEBRUARY 6, 2015 | DENVER CATHOLIC Archbishop's Page Denver Catholic (USPS 557-020) is published weekly except the last week of December and the fi rst weeks of January, and in June, July and August when it goes bi-weekly. Denver Catholic is printed by Signature O¡ set in Denver. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $35 a year in Colorado; $42 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $42 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $48 air; Canada, $55 air. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or email circulation@archden.org. EDITORIAL: 303-715-3215 or denvercatholic@archden.org | ADVERTISING: 303-715-3253 or denvercatholicads@archden.org CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-715-3230 or circulation@archden.org General Manager KARNA SWANSON Director ANDREW WRIGHT Business Manager MICHAEL O'NEILL Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 Archbishop's Column Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila E very January we remember the anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which has allowed the legal killing of some 55 million children since 1973. While participating in the 9 Days for Life Novena this year, I came across an article by the author and speaker Erika Bachiochi that I would like to share with you because of its important insights. All of us should be aware of the profound cul- tural consequences of legalized abortion that Bachiochi describes and work to end the killing of innocents. +Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila With age comes wisdom, or so they say. Roe v. Wade has turned 40. So what have we learned? Forty years later, the Roe decision's references to "poten- tial life" seem scientifi cally outdated at best. Even abortion rights activists now concede the basic biological fact that human life begins at conception. Unfortunately, because most have been reticent to publicly admit this, many Americans (including some vocally "pro-choice" Catholic politicians) still fail to understand that science informs Church teaching in this regard.Ÿ Forty years later, it is not only theologically obtuse but also scientifi cally mis- informed to make statements like: "As a Catholic, I believe life begins at conception, but…." We human beings begin our existence when our father's sperm meets our mother's egg—whether we choose to believe it or not. A human being, in every other context in U.S. history save the era of slavery, has been understood to enjoy certain human rights simply because he or she is human. Today a child, in every context of American law save abortion, merits her parents' care and protection— simply because she is their child. Forty years later the United States con- tinues to have one of the most extreme abortion regimes in the world. Yet we're often led to believe that Roe v. Wade merely legalized abortion in the fi rst three months of pregnancy. The trouble is that the Roe Court actually said abor- tion must be allowed for any reason in the next three months as well. It then said laws against abortion must have a broad health exception even in the fi nal "tri- mester," but only described its breadth in the little known companion case, Doe v. Bolton, decided the same day. In Doe, the Court announced that health, for the pur- poses of late-term abortion law, would be synonymous with the mother's "physical, emotional, psychological, familial … well- being"—in other words, every reason a pregnant woman could give for seeking an abortion in the fi rst place. Together Roe and Doe display a dramatic instance of the exception swallowing the rule, making the U.S. one of only nine countries in the world permitting abortion after 14 weeks of pregnancy, and one of only four that allows abortion for any reason after viability, yet most Americans still falsely assume that abortion is strictly limited after the fi rst trimester. Forty years later, women's health is still a central issue, but scientifi c data does not support abortion access as healthy for women. Beyond dispute, if little known, are the data that show an increased likelihood of preterm birth and placenta previa in sub- sequent pregnancies, both of which put mother and child at increased risk of health and life-threaten- ing complications. Women who have had abortions are also at increased risk of anxiety, depression and substance abuse. A 2011 "meta-analysis" (i.e., study of the studies) revealed that more than half of all women experienced mild to severe mental health problems following their abortions, including a 155% increased risk of sui- cidal behavior. Short-term complications including hemorrhaging, uterine perforation, and infection injure tens of thousands of women each year. Forty years later, abor- tion is more often than not regarded as a necessary evil: evil, because it takes the innocent, depen- dent life of a uniquely precious unborn child; "necessary," because it is claimed that women's equality depends upon it. […] Wouldn't authentic equality instead require that men and society at large respect, protect, and support women's childbearing capacity, alongside their many other talents and abilities? […] Forty years later, women from all back- grounds—a© uent and highly educated to poor and disadvantaged—attest to the diª culty of meeting men worthy of, and willing to commit to, marriage. […] Once upon a time, women were in a position to make serious demands upon men prior to physical intimacy, due to the commit- ment necessary for taking care of a child who may possibly result. Increasingly available contraception and abortion have realigned this set of cultural expec- tations toward the male prerogative for low commitment sex. Increased confi - dence in contraception (alongside the continued reality of contraceptive fail- ure) has translated, forty years later, into increased rates of unintended pregnancy, single motherhood, and abortion—all of which disproportionately a« ect women, especially poor women. Forty years later, the pro-life commu- nity is as committed as ever to promoting the human dignity of both mother and child. Indeed, it is the vulnerability of all those involved in abortion that makes the issue one of deep and abiding concern. The evident vulnerability of the innocent human being, to be sure, but also the vulnerability of the single mother who feels she has no "choice" but to abort; the anxious father who has no legal say; the parents whose unborn child appears handicapped or may die shortly after birth; the victim of rape; and even the abortion provider who, we can only hope, will experience a conversion of heart and abandon this trade. Forty years later, the courage and grace shown by those women who choose life—in the face of fear, uncertainty, parental or partner intimidation, seemingly insurmountable odds—make them today's heroes. They are joined by the many who counsel, support, and nurture them both before and after the birth of their child. Such self-giving love—especially in the face of forty years of "choice"—is powerfully transformative of mother, of child, of families, of cultures. Life Matters: Roe Plus 40* PHOTO OF THE WEEK @ArchbishopDen Jan 24 The #prolife battle is real, and we have confi dence in Jesus! My homily from @ArchDenver #RoevWade Mass: http://ow.ly/HN4m6 +sja *This article was fi rst pub- lished by the U.S. bishops' conference in 2013, ahead of the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade (1973). It has been edited for length. To view the entire letter with footnotes, please visit DenverCatholic. org. Reprinted with permis- sion. Copyright © 2013, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. ERIKA BACHIOCHI Archbish- op Samuel Aquila greets pa- rishioners at Light of the World Parish in Littleton follow- ing the dedication of the new church Jan. 25. Photo by Andrew Wright/Denver Catholic Today a child, in every context of American law save abortion, merits her parents' care and protec- tion—sim- ply be- cause she is their child." ERIKA BACHIOCHI "

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