The Dobbs decision is causing catastrophic consequences to women and queer people’s reproductive freedom and health care. Roman Catholic leaders, including the American Bishops, are aligning with other patriarchal manifestations of Christianity to curtail access to legal abortion and discourage birth control. This paper formulates a Roman Catholic argument—a Catholic Case—for reproductive freedom by resurrecting and revisiting historical concepts from Catholic ethics and liberation theology that are no longer commonly associated with Reproductive Ethics. This resurrected “Catholic Case” also connects to supporting Jewish and Muslim teachings on abortion. The Catholic Case for Reproductive Freedom resurrects the currently dormant or underused Christian ethics of 1) double eJect 2) liberation theology 3) original Thomistic personhood (ensoulment) 4) proportionality and 5) Post Vatican II bioethics to grow reproductive freedom and mitigate the oppressive life vs. choice binary.
The paper will open with a brief description of Catholic ethical arguments in the public sphere, often given in tandem with the strange bedfellows of Mormons (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and Evangelicals. This trinity of ethical collaborators are strange bedfellows for two reasons: 1) they do not agree theologically on most issues, to the point of not considering each other Christian 2) the public ethics of these Christianities vary from internal ethical traditions, for example Evangelicals and Mormons now oJer public Natural Law arguments, although Natural Law is not a common Evangelical or Mormon ethic. Sadly, my conclusion is that these Christianities unite, consciously or unconsciously, to uphold patriarchal values in the American public sphere.
Then the resurrected Catholic Case for Reproductive Freedom will be constructed from the elements of Catholic history that are no longer emphasized: 1) The Principle of Double E2ect, developed by Phillipa Foote in her paper “Abortion.” Foote argues that the Catholic Church must remember that some situations have no good outcome, only painful realities. For Foote intent is important, and choice is not always a reality. 2) A brief discussion of Liberation Theology comes next, including the work of Marcella Althaus-Reid. Liberation theology has a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, and those in need of reproductive health care are vulnerable, even more so since the Dobbs decision. Althaus- Reid’s concept of the indecent fortifies the argument that medical pregnancy termination is a necessary option for reproductive freedom.
3) Thomas Aquinas states clearly in the Summa that ensoulment happens at 40 days for men and 90 days for women. This original, very specific, Thomistic declaration of the gestational time of personhood is widely ignored by the Catholic Church today as it currently links personhood and conception. Muslim ethics do not focus on personhood
when discussing reproductive ethics, and welcome diverse ideas on ensoulment including at 40, or 90, or 120 days. The first 40 days of a pregnancy in Jewish ethics are considered “like water.” How could reproductive freedoms be strengthened If Catholics considered the first 40 days of gestation diJerently?
The little-used Catholic ethical principle of proportionality can also contribute to a Catholic Case for reproductive freedom: 71% of medical pregnancy terminations take place in the first eleven weeks of gestation; over 60% utilize abortion pills. Why do patriarchal religions in the public sphere focus disproportionally on later term terminations? Bringing proportion to reproductive arguments and rhetorics will also bring freedom.
Last, reproductive freedom includes birth control. The paper will end with a brief discussion of the Catholic priests who left the priesthood and became bioethicists after Humane Vitae and Vatican II. These bioethics had thought that the Catholic Church would ethically “allow” at least barrier methods (for example condoms) of birth control; when even barrier methods were deemed unethical at Vatican II these Catholic leaders followed their consciences outside of Catholicism and helped found the field of Bioethics. Their wisdom adds to a Catholic Case for Reproductive Freedom.
We can build Reproductive Freedom, even in oppressive political and religious times. This Catholic, Comparative Case for Reproductive Freedom shows one way forward.
The Dobbs decision is causing catastrophic consequences to women and queer people’s reproductive freedom and health care. Roman Catholic leaders, including the American Bishops, are aligning with other patriarchal manifestations of Christianity to curtail access to legal abortion and discourage birth control. This paper formulates a Roman Catholic argument—a Catholic Case—for reproductive freedom by resurrecting and revisiting historical concepts from Catholic ethics and liberation theology that are no longer commonly associated with Reproductive Ethics. This resurrected “Catholic Case” also connects to supporting Jewish and Muslim teachings on abortion. The Catholic Case for Reproductive Freedom resurrects the currently dormant or underused Christian ethics of 1) double effect 2) liberation theology 3) original Thomistic personhood (ensoulment) 4) proportionality and 5) Post Vatican II bioethics to grow reproductive freedom and mitigate the oppressive life vs. choice binary.