We are the Catholic Abolition Movement, dedicated to the complete abolition of abortion and to securing equal protection under the law for every human being, both inside and outside of the womb.
We are abolitionists.
While we share important convictions with many in the pro-life movement—namely, that the unborn are living human beings with inherent dignity and that abortion is a grave injustice—we differ in how that injustice should be addressed under the law.
Abolitionists hold that abortion must be fully abolished and treated as a matter of equal justice. We believe that every human being, from the moment of conception, is entitled to the same legal protection as any other person. Laws that fail to protect the unborn deny their equal dignity and undermine justice itself.
In contrast, much of the modern pro-life movement has pursued incremental legal strategies and often rejects the application of criminal penalties with respect to the mother. These positions are often motivated by a desire to show compassion and to recognize the difficult circumstances surrounding many abortions.
While we acknowledge that desire for compassion, we believe that any legal framework that withholds equal protection from a class of human beings ultimately falls short of true justice. A society cannot claim to uphold human dignity while denying legal protection to its most vulnerable members.
As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
“The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law"
We invite our brothers and sisters within the Pro-Life community to prayerfully consider these principles and to join us in seeking equal protection and justice for every human being, without exception.