Former President Trump recently got in hot water with the pro-life movement by criticizing Governor Ron DeSantis’ six-week abortion legislation as “too harsh.”
After the Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Trump picked an unnecessary fight that damaged his reputation among pro-lifers. The Court overturned Roe, but like the failure of the President, many of us have not redirected our focus to local politics.
In the Roe vs. Wade decision, the Supreme Court famously found the alleged “right” to an abortion in the “emanation of the penumbra” of the Constitution, overturning every pro-life state law. Since then, abortuaries have killed between 50 and 60 million unborn babies. The laity – mostly lay Catholics – organized the hugely successful annual March for Life on the anniversary of the decision clogging the streets of Washington, D.C., every year during frigid January weather. Justice Antonin Scalia – among the minority of originalists on the Court — lamented that the protest spectacle would continue until the Court overturned Roe and declared the alleged right to abortion unconstitutional.
President Trump’s policies defended the lives of the unborn more effectively than every Republican President–including President Reagan–since 1973. As Donald Trump took office, he reinstated Reagan’s much-heralded and despised Mexico City Policy, which bans U.S. aid to groups abroad that make referrals for abortion or discuss abortion as an option. Trump consulted the Federalist Society–a group of conservative and libertarian lawyers–to identify potential Supreme Court nominees. As President, he nominated (and received Senate confirmation for) three originalist jurists to the Court.
Thanks to Trump, the Court—with its majority of originalists—overturned Roe in its Dobbs decision in June 2022. As a result of the decision, state legislators and governors scrambled to revisit their abortion laws. Public support in response to vigorous leadership determines legislative success. Dobbs didn’t magically end abortion, but state laws regulating abortion would presumably favor popular pro-life sentiment on the local level.
Trump was the best friend unborn babies had in the White House. Pro-life political appointees and staffers comprised much of the Executive Branch during his Administration. After defeating Trump in 2020, Joseph Biden reinstated every pro-abortion policy possible on the Executive level. Even his top military executive, who professes the Catholic faith–Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin—cooperated in Biden’s radical abortion agenda.
In October 2020, Austin issued a memo entitled “Ensuring Access to Reproductive Health Care.” In the wake of the Dobbs decision overturning Roe, Austin wrote that the ruling “has impacted access to reproductive health care, with readiness, recruiting and retention implications for the force.” He added, “The department is examining this decision closely and evaluating our policies to ensure we continue to provide seamless access to reproductive health care [abortion] as permitted by federal law.”
In his encyclical Evangelium Vitae, Pope John Paul II stated that Catholics who procure abortions suffer an automatic (latae sententiae) excommunication and “it is never licit to cooperate formally in evil.” However, the Holy Father recognizes the political difficulties in establishing a just moral order. He writes:
The Church well knows that it is difficult to mount an effective legal defense of life in pluralistic democracies, because of the presence of strong cultural currents with differing outlooks. At the same time, certain that moral truth cannot fail to make its presence deeply felt in every conscience, the Church encourages political leaders, starting with those who are Christians, not to give in, but to make those choices which, taking into account what is realistically attainable, will lead to the re-establishment of a just order in the defense and promotion of the value of life. Here it must be noted that it is not enough to remove unjust laws. The underlying causes of attacks on life have to be eliminated, especially by ensuring proper support for families and motherhood.
Politics is the art of the possible. President Trump–and other pro-life Presidential candidates—should remind voters that the states are responsible for abortion laws, not the Federal Government. A political advisor might provide this script to their candidate concerning the right to life:
I follow the science and know that life begins at conception. The deliberate attack on an unborn baby is always wrong. In my Administration, I will abide by the laws, but I will also ensure my Executive Branch—to the extent possible—will protect the unborn by policy and Executive Orders. Politics is the art of the possible. I encourage state legislators and governors to relentlessly promote legislation that increasingly protects the lives of unborn babies. The states need to pay special attention to the needs of the poor, who are easily frightened by Planned Parenthood, politicians, and the medical profession. I’m not a clergyman. I’m a politician. So, I also call on religious leaders to do their part in preaching the Fifth Commandment, ‘Thou shalt not murder.’
Pro-life organizations should indeed declare victory after the Dobbs decision. Nobody can claim the Constitution supports the right to abortion. Most of us know more about national politics than the makeup of our school boards; that must change. The efficiencies of high-profile national displays must give way to the hard work of local community organizing. The liberals knew that for years and have morally undermined the nation. The Dobbs decision reminds us that winning hearts and minds is local.
There is always a question of emphasis. Roe is a dead letter. If a national witness remains prudent, the “National Celebrate Life Day” is a good approach: a Washington, DC, march heralding the Dobbs decision, honoring the Court, and emphasizing the need for a focus on the local and state levels. Also, let’s celebrate “Unborn Baby Pride!” in our communities–and churches.
Finally, many solid Internet platforms report on national political topics that include informative daily or weekly emails. But every diocese could use a daily email platform–under lay control—to monitor local politics and spark pro-life activism where it counts. Oremus.
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Just remember whom Cupich, Tobin, McElroy and other guardians of the faith supported. That they and many other bishops are pro-choice doesn’t make for a consistent message, does it? In other words, these pro-choice bishops have effectively neutered official Catholic participation on this issue, and the USCCB should be banned from pro-life activities. Catholics need to stop donating to the USCCB and its never-ending national collections.
Welcome commonsense thoughts on abortion. All politics is local. It’s high time that Catholics make their moral voices heard on the local level. It’s high time that Catholics run for seats on local school boards. It’s high time that Catholics run for seats on the town/city council. It’s high time that Catholics run for seats on governance of local libraries. It’s high time for Catholics to run for seats on their local judiciary. This is NOT the time for Catholics to stay ensconced in their local Catholic ghettos and simply throw their hat in the ring for a seat on those stupid parish councils that were set up in the 70’s. The role of the Catholic laity is the conversion of our culture by getting involved on the local level. We’re either going to be the influencers or the influenced. Which will it be?
The “liberal” ones do. The more conservative ones are busy trying to safeguard their families.
Excellent commentary by Fr. Pokorsky. In his own state of Virginia, there needs to be a focus on ending the Kaine Skandal (pro-abortion nominal Catholic, about to run for reelection). Fr. Pokorsky’s bishop needs to speak out more directly. Pro-life generalities are not particularly effective!
The Catholic Church must increase its influence to ban most abortions even as the secular world shows a pro-choice preference.
With Trump’s egregious acts, leading up to and following the 1/6/21 Capitol incursion, he cannot remain the GOP standard bearer. Excerpt: “Thanks to Trump, the Court—with its majority of originalists.” Because of recent ethics charges against Justices Thomas, Roberts and Alito, the Supreme Court is at its lowest rating since Trump “stacked the court”. Another serious reason for the decline is the court’s non-originalist political penchant. Right (red), Left (Blue), Conservative, (right), Liberals, (wrong).
Catholics wrer, once more, duped by Trump. Trump was pro-choice much of his adult life. Because he was running for president in 2016, he needed the Catholic vote and switched. Quartz: “Trump shifted from pro-choice to pro-life only as he planned a presidential run.”
May God enlighten the world to the sin of abortion on demand.
Nice anti-Trump screed. Now that you’ve vented your spleen, why not spend some time in prayer?
But what if the “screed” is all true?
And what if it’s just crass political posturing voiced by elitist snobs.
Surely you don’t mean to suggest that anyone who might raise a question about Trump’s scapegoating of pro-lifers for the failure of his hand-picked candidates in 2022 is an “elitist snob.”
Dear Deacon. I do pray a lot for salvation and tender democracy. I went too far by violating the CWR rules on discussing politics. That being said, our preacious America is at another political tipping point. I regret saying ignorance of the truth advances a criminal/potentially treasonous moves by Trump, his lawyers and his minions. His breath holding “legal team” cringing with Trump’s revealing trends of speaking openly about his cases. His ego, misogynistic, narcissistic and autocratic penchant one would prompt any true American to pray to save the Union? An increasing number of influential Republicans are saying “Trump is a clear and president danger to our democracy”. Unless I misunderstood your vitriolic “spleen” my case is closed.
Thank you. God bless.
There is much wanting in the man who declares quack emergency, platforms fauci, rolls helicopter cash out to democrat! Governors to lockdown, “fathers” (own word!) Warp speed, pumps notoriously hard to watchdog early voting, kangaroo cops election fraud, then invites public to j6 with “it will be wild!”
Zooming out on his presidency, his serially divorced reality actor best friends with bill bill Epstein lifestyle has not been publicly repented and he was in office and after the most gay friendly president ever, failing to criticize obergefell, which hath wrought grievous harm and genital mutilation to innocents in it’s short and long term effects.
But let’s zoom way out to look in this month of created equal and see that “states rights” was *in no way* helpful against the evil of slavery. Why would we think it effective concerning that other inalienable right, life? Did not Dobbs take the wind of inalienable out of the sails of created equal by allowing *states* to decide abortion? What abolitionist of the nineteenth century would credibly have suggested let’s let states decide if they want slavery?
Zooming back in to Trump, considering the potency of created equal to have abolished slavery and to analogically abolish abortion in future (this time without bloodshed! (Remember what Lincoln said about every crack of the whip… Created equals debt had *already* been paid!).. considering all this was it not blatantly irresponsible for trump to have repeatedly declaimed confederate statues as “beautiful”, holding the bag for the Democrats (whose statues they were!) And smearing the GOP (who were the slavery abolitionists!) at same time. The politics of Charlottesville were far from local and president warp speed seems to have been participating in the Kabuki theater.
Dobbs, in effect, is a nothing burger and so will the same limp response to obergefell be. We must insist on abolishing abortion and overturning obergefell. Root and branch according to our national birthright.
Are you voting for Biden, then?
I keep repeating myself, but public servants are not public idols. We send them to Washington, Richmond, or Sacramento to do a specific job. They have a public service to perform in the same way trash collectors do. Their personal failings are their own affairs unless it crosses a line that makes them ineligible to remain in office. Mr. Trump has not crossed that line. If he or our trash man should, we move forward & find someone else to do that job.
Politicians & trash service people are replaceable. It should be that simple. Otherwise, we get manipulated & distracted into an endless media-led shaming/virtue signaling contest.
Most excellent rejoinder, mrscracker.
Thank you. That’s very kind.
So why not vote for Ron DeSantis 2024, best Governor in my state, Florida, true Conservative, true Catholic, true family man, defender of family values against the woke evil oversexed agenda. I appreciate what Trump did as President, but since I don’t worship public servants, I believe DeSantis is worth my fervent support as a genuine defender of the cause without the huge deficiencies.
If Gov.DeSantis becomes the candidate I will support him.
I know the author. Very good, Jerry-son, very good indeed.