Stephan Prothero writes a piece for CNN, asking whether or not Catholics can “abide a saint who had an abortion”? Speaking here of Servant of God Dorothy Day, who had an abortion as a young woman but went on to become one of the most prominent converted Catholics of the 20 th Century, Prothero’s answer is Yes. But his answer finds no place in orthodox Catholic thought:
“Partly that is because of the Christian teaching of forgiveness. But mostly it is because of the tendency of Catholics to diverge from the official party line on questions such as homosexuality, birth control and abortion.”
In other words, Day will be accepted as a saint mostly by those who excuse her abortion, and less by those who forgive it. But as Mark Shea points out , Prothero relies on the premise that those Catholics who actually do regard abortion as a terrible crime will never welcome saints with sinful pasts:
“Has he [Prothero] never heard of the celebrated baptism of Norma McCorvey (aka “Roe” Roe v. Wade) by Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life? Does he know nothing of the huge welcomes and celebrations given such figures as Abby Johnson or Carol Everett, former “abortion providers” who repented and have become lionesses of the pro-life movement? I cannot think of a single group of people more likely to celebrate a post-abortive saint than orthodox Catholic pro-lifers.”
Agreed.
More troubling than Prothero’s misrepresentation of pro-life Catholics, however, is his correct representation of a modern relativism indifferent to sin: “I believe they will forgive Day’s sin in part because, in their heart of hearts, many of them don’t consider it all that much of a sin in the first place.”
I wonder what Day would say.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
