Pope Backs Durbin: But the Preborn are Always #1

I. Scriptural and Patristic Foundations

Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life finds its foundation in Divine Revelation. The Decalogue proclaims, “You shall not kill” (Exod. 20:13), a commandment reaffirmed by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:21–22). From the earliest days of the Church, Christian writers such as the Didache (1st century) unequivocally condemned abortion and infanticide. Tertullian insisted that ‘he who will be a man is already one’ (Apology, 9), while St. Basil the Great denounced abortion as homicide, imposing canonical penalties upon those who procured or facilitated it. St. Augustine, though struggling with philosophical definitions of ensoulment, nevertheless defended the unborn as part of God’s creative order. The patristic consensus leaves no doubt: the deliberate taking of innocent life is gravely sinful, contradicting both Divine Law and natural reason.

II. The Catechism and Doctrinal Clarity

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches with unmistakable clarity: ‘Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end’ (CCC §2258). This sanctity extends to the unborn: ‘Since the first century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law’ (CCC §2271). By codifying ancient tradition into a definitive magisterial text, the Catechism ensures continuity across the centuries, protecting the faithful from moral relativism and cultural accommodation.

III. Evangelium Vitae and the Modern Witness

Pope St. John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae (1995) remains the definitive articulation of Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life in the modern era. The Holy Father insisted that the right to life is ‘the first and fundamental of all rights‘ (EV §20). Without this foundation, the entire edifice of human rights collapses. John Paul II warned of a growing ‘culture of death’ that treats life as disposable whenever it becomes burdensome. He drew particular attention to the complicity of democratic systems that enshrine abortion in law, calling it a corruption of authentic freedom. ‘We are facing an enormous and dramatic clash between good and evil, death and life, the “culture of death” and the “culture of life”’ (EV §28). His prophetic vision continues to guide Catholic engagement with modern political and cultural debates.

 VI. Magisterial Witness Before and After

While Evangelium Vitae is the high-water mark of papal teaching on life issues, the Magisterium has consistently addressed the sanctity of life. Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae (1968) emphasized the inseparability of procreation and conjugal love, a principle that undergirds the Church’s opposition to abortion and contraception alike. Benedict XVI’s Caritas in Veritate (2009) deepened this teaching, insisting that respect for life is integral to authentic human development and what he referred to as “human ecology.” Even Pope Francis, in Gaudete et Exsultate (2018), acknowledged abortion as a grave injustice. However, his emphasis on a wide range of social issues has sometimes obscured this priority in the eyes of critics. Taken together, the Magisterium’s teaching provides a consistent witness: life is sacred and must be defended.

V. Natural Law and the Rational Defense of Life

The Church’s opposition to abortion is not based solely on Divine Revelation but is also confirmed by Natural Law reasoning. St. Thomas Aquinas defines law as an ordinance of reason directed to the common good, promulgated by one who has care of the community (Summa Theologiae I-II, q. 90, a. 4). Murder is prohibited because it contradicts reason itself by destroying the good of life, which is the condition for every other good. Modern philosophers such as Germain Grisez, John Finnis, and Robert George have developed sophisticated Natural Law arguments against abortion, showing that from the moment of conception, a distinct human organism exists with its own genetic identity. This convergence of reason, philosophy, and science affirms what the Church has always taught: life must be protected.

VI. Intrinsically Evil Acts and Prudential Judgments

To grasp why abortion is unique, it is essential to distinguish between intrinsically evil acts and prudential judgments. According to Veritatis Splendor (1993), certain acts are intrinsically evil because their object is incompatible with human dignity and Divine Law. Murder, adultery, euthanasia, and abortion fall into this category. By contrast, prudential judgments involve the application of moral principles to complex realities, such as economic policy, immigration, or climate strategy. Catholics may legitimately disagree about prudential matters, but not about intrinsic evils. The U.S. bishops underscored this distinction in Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (2020), which declared abortion the ‘preeminent priority’ because it directly attacks life itself. This distinction helps Catholics properly order their political and moral responsibilities.

VII. Historical and Contemporary Case Studies

History provides sobering examples of the consequences of failing to defend life. Under Nazi Germany, millions were murdered under laws that dehumanized entire classes of people. Soviet communism treated human life as expendable in the pursuit of ideology. These examples reveal the dangers of separating law from moral truth. In the contemporary United States, Catholic politicians who support abortion rights present a new kind of scandal, as they claim fidelity to the faith while undermining its most basic teaching. Some bishops, such as Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, have called for denying Communion to such figures, emphasizing that public support for abortion places one outside of communion with the Church. These case studies highlight the tension between personal faith and public responsibility.

VIII. Pastoral Implications and Catholic Responsibility

Defending life requires more than doctrinal clarity; it demands pastoral action. Parishes and dioceses must support mothers in crisis pregnancies, provide healing for those wounded by abortion, and advocate for just laws. Initiatives such as Rachel’s Vineyard retreats offer powerful models of reconciliation and healing. Pope St. John Paul II, in Evangelium Vitae, emphasized that the Gospel of Life is not only a command but also a gift, calling Christians to be a ‘people of life and for life’ (EV §79). Pastoral responsibility also involves forming consciences, so Catholics can resist the pressures of a secular culture that normalizes abortion.

IX. Contemporary Cultural Analysis

Beyond ecclesial and pastoral contexts, the culture itself must be scrutinized. Sociologist Zygmunt Bauman’s concept of ‘liquid modernity’ illustrates how contemporary society prizes flexibility and individual choice over permanence and commitment. Philosopher Charles Taylor, in A Secular Age, shows how modern identity has been reshaped by expressive individualism, which undermines traditions that sustain moral formation. Both perspectives illuminate why abortion is tolerated: in a culture that elevates autonomy above truth, life becomes negotiable. Against this tide, the Church must offer a countercultural witness grounded in objective moral order.

X. Conclusion

The controversy surrounding Cardinal Cupich’s award to Senator Durbin, the backlash from bishops, and Pope Leo’s interventions serve as a microcosm of the broader crisis facing the Catholic Church. When moral clarity on the sanctity of life is compromised, scandal ensues, and the faithful are left disoriented. Yet the Church’s tradition—rooted in Scripture, developed in doctrine, confirmed by Natural Law, and illuminated by the Magisterium—remains clear: abortion is an intrinsic evil that admits of no exceptions. The right to life is the foundation of every other right. To defend it is to affirm the Gospel of Life and to bear faithful witness to Christ, the Lord of life.

Bibliography

• Aquinas, Thomas. *Summa Theologiae*. Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province. New York: Benziger Brothers, 1947.
• Augustine. *On Marriage and Concupiscence*. Translated by C.L. Cornish. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series I, Vol. 5.
• Basil the Great. *Letters and Homilies*. In Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series II, Vol. 8.
• Bauman, Zygmunt. *Liquid Modernity*. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2000.
• Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997.
• Finnis, John. *Natural Law and Natural Rights*. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1980.
• Francis. *Gaudete et Exsultate*. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2018.
• Grisez, Germain. *The Way of the Lord Jesus*. Vol. 1. Quincy, IL: Franciscan Press, 1983.
• John Paul II. *Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life)*. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1995.