Abortion is a wedge issue because it separates a mother from her child. Abortion, at its core, is a destruction of the family, the “cell of society” as St. John Paul II described it in his “Letter to Families.” The family is a cell in the sense that it is where life begins and is nurtured, and these cells comprise the body of society. Systematically destroy the cells, and the body dies.
Opposition to abortion is part of seeking true social justice simply because laws that allow abortion allow injustice to be perpetuated against the most defenseless members of society. In his autobiography, Frederick Douglass frequently reflects on the effects that slavery had on the entire United States.
Even though this evil practice was legal only in the South, the whole country was affected by the brutalization and dehumanization of the human person. We see the lingering effects today. In the same way, abortion teaches society that human life may be snuffed out as a matter of choice and convenience. No other issue has the same weight or the same effect. It is a rejection of truth, of beauty, and ultimately of God.
Pope Francis, following his predecessors, encourages Catholics to work for and love the common good. There are some things that prevent the common good from ever being attained. An unjust law, especially one that allows violence against the weak under the guise of “freedom,” is one of these things.
Because of its nature, its effect, its frequency, and the fact that the law celebrates it as “liberty,” abortion is the preeminent issue of our day. And as we would not compromise with slavery, we must never compromise with abortion.
Matthew Bosnick is a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Charlotte.