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This edition of Life Issues Forum is available in English and Spanish, and has been posted to our website.
The Life Issues Forum is a bi-weekly column by Pro-Life Secretariat staff addressing the latest issues on the culture of life. Columns may be reprinted as they appear here (in full and without alteration) without further permission.
In Christ,
The Pro-Life Secretariat
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LIFE ISSUES FORUM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Connecting Domestic Abuse and Abortion July 22, 2016
By Mary McClusky
Police
recently found twenty-three-year-old Candace Pickens of Asheville,
North Carolina, dead in a park. Nathaniel Dixon, the father of their
unborn child, is charged with her murder. Family members say Candace's
refusal to have an abortion sparked the violence.
This
heartbreaking story is just one example of the connection between
domestic abuse and abortion. Studies show that pregnancy often escalates
violence between intimate partners, which can lead to miscarriage, or
even the death of both mother and child. Many women are coerced or
forced into an abortion by their abusers.
For
a woman who has suffered violence, abortion adds further layers of
trauma---not least the death of her child---from which to heal. Fathers
are affected, too. One of the symptoms of post-abortion trauma can be
anger or even rage. Those facilitating post-abortion healing ministry
with men in prison say there is often a strong connection between
involvement in a previous abortion and their other violent offenses.
Recently,
the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization founded by abortion
provider Planned Parenthood, released an analysis saying that victims of
intimate partner violence need the full range of "reproductive health
services," their term for contraception and abortion. What the
Guttmacher Institute won't say is what so many post-abortive women
share: that abortion is often not even the woman's choice, and coerced
abortions happen more often than is commonly known.
The
bishops recognized this victimization of women, citing forced abortion
as one example of domestic violence in their statement "When I Call For Help." Originally released in 1992 after a series of focus groups with women, the statement was reaffirmed in 2002.
"When I Call for Help" inspired over 350 clergy and laypeople from
across the country to gather recently in Washington for the first ever
Domestic Violence Symposium. Sponsored by Catholics for Family Peace and
CUA's National Catholic School of Social Sciences, event cosponsors
included the National Council of Catholic Women, several offices of the
USCCB, Catholic Charities USA, and Catholic Charities of both the
Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Arlington.
The
gathering's theme, "Hope, Help, and Healing: A Catholic Response to
Domestic Abuse and Violence," explored new ways for clergy, diocesan
Catholic Charities, Family Life, Respect Life, and Project Rachel
Ministries to work together to offer help, encourage healing, and
promote forgiveness.
Echoing
the call for forgiveness, Candace Pickens' father told a crowd at a
candlelight vigil for his daughter that everyone needs to come together
in love. His words reflect the truth that everyone, both victim and
perpetrator, has God-given dignity. Though incredibly difficult,
forgiveness and love will help to heal the suffering and stop the cycle
of violence.
Let
us pray that all victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse or coerced
abortion may learn that they were made in God's image, created to love
and be loved. Let us work to build awareness of the relationship between domestic abuse and abortion, find ways to prevent both, and offer hope in Christ to those who suffer.
Mary
McClusky is Assistant Director for Project Rachel Ministry Development
at the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops. For confidential help after abortion, visit www.hopeafterabortion.com or www.esperanzaposaborto.com.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides crisis intervention and
referrals to local service providers. Call 800-799-SAFE (7233) or
800-787-3224 (TTY) or visit www.thehotline.org.
