A vibrantly colored, 15-metre-long quilt woven with stories of Catholic women who have had abortions has been rolled out outside the Vatican in protest at the fact that the subject is not on the agenda of a major summit organized by Pope Francis.
Thursday’s demonstration by Catholics for Choice, a US-based abortion rights group, comes days after the pope emphasized his traditional views on women, repeating that abortion was “murder” and that doctors who terminate pregnancies were “hitmen.”
The month-long closed-door summit, known as a synod, is the final session of a debate on the future of the church and how it can be adapted to the needs of Catholics today. But decisions on some of the most divisive issues, including the ordination of women and blessings for same-sex couples, have been postponed until next year, while abortion has never been on the agenda.
The official teaching of the Catholic Church condemns abortion under all circumstances, even if there is a risk to the life of the mother. But data from the Pew Research Center earlier this year showed that the majority of Catholics in the United States, which has the fourth largest Catholic population in the world, believed it should be legal in all or most cases.
“One of the reasons we’re so focused on it in the U.S. is because 98% of Catholic women have used contraception other than natural family planning and one in four abortion patients is Catholic,” said Ashley Wilson, a senior adviser for Catholics . for choice.
“But the issue of abortion and contraception does not receive the same attention as other church justice issues, even though it potentially affects many more people. When (the church hierarchy) says that ‘we have to be tough on abortion’, it feels completely excessive. We cannot miss this opportunity to make our voices heard.”
Catholics for Choice collected 180 testimonies from Catholic women who had terminated pregnancies, 51 of which were published in a book presented to the synod office on Thursday but ultimately rejected.
Many of the women came forward with their abortion stories after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its landmark Roe v Wade decision in 2022, ending a constitutional right to abortion that had existed for 50 years.
The reasons behind their decisions were varied. Some chose to end their pregnancies due to health problems or fetal abnormalities, while others were unplanned or the women did not feel ready to start a family. One woman shared how, in her 20s, she became pregnant while in an abusive relationship and did not want to be forced to marry the man.
“The stories are heartbreaking, inspiring, empowering and everything in between,” said Wilson. “Catholics for Choice was actually founded when Roe v Wade became law, and when it was overturned, many people realized they had to come forward.”
Pope Francis sparked criticism in September after urging American Catholics to choose the “lesser evil” in the upcoming presidential election. Without naming the two candidates, he said both were “against life,” apparently referring to Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant policies and Kamala Harris’ stance on abortion.
“Many people forget that Pope Francis is also a head of state and is not allowed to comment on elections,” Wilson added. “If Emmanuel Macron had made these comments, people would have panicked.”
Francis reiterated his views on abortion at the end of a trip to Belgium, where he was widely criticized for his views on the role of women in society.
“It’s a huge thing, but he doesn’t seem to be fully aware of the ripple effects of his words and the violence they can cause against people,” Wilson said. “There are women in the US dying from sepsis because they can’t get the abortion care they need. And the most powerful lobby behind abortion bans in any country is the Catholic Church. It is both shocking and outrageous.”