• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Pro-life demonstrators are seen near the Supreme Court in Washington June 15, 2022. (CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn)

What would the baby choose?

July 1, 2022
By Father Joseph Breighner
Filed Under: Commentary, Feature, Respect Life, Wit & Wisdom

As I sit down to write this column, I’m aware that so much of the news today is about abortion. As usual, the arguments are along the same lines. Pro-abortion groups argue for a woman’s right to choose. Pro-life groups argue for a baby’s right to life.

As you might imagine, I am pro-life. And I think that the question not asked in these debates is this: “What would the baby choose?”

Obviously, we can’t interview the fetus, but we can ask a challenging question: “How many people wish they had been aborted?”

I’ve never heard that question asked in surveys. Perhaps it has been. I imagine most people would say that they are glad to be alive.

Despite the poverty I was born into, I’m glad my mother chose life. Growing up in a poor and “broken family” is far better than not having a chance to grow up at all.

My family, as I’ve shared before, really was the church. Father Francis Wagner, at my home parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Essex, especially looked out for me. He would always ask me to serve Mass at funerals because he would take the servers out to breakfast afterward. He always asked me to serve weddings. In those days, someone often gave a tip to the servers. He knew our family could use any money.

As an aside, I think I told the story before of how I would try to disguise my voice in going to confession to him so he wouldn’t know who I was. Invariably when I finished confessing, he would remind me about another funeral or wedding with which he needed help. My disguise never worked.

In truth, most people like to help other people. The decision to choose life is also a decision to allow others to help us in life.

I have no desire to make people who have had abortions feel worse about themselves. God forgives even our most terrible choices, and we need to forgive ourselves and others.

We need judges to keep life orderly. We need compassion to make life bearable.

In the seminary, Sulpician Father James Brennan always emphasized in his canon law class to “be kind, be kind, be kind.” We want to be pro-life. We want to be pro-kindness!

Read More Commentary

What does it taste like?

4 tips for building a media-smart family

Here is the simplest way to share faith with kids

Let good prevail

Living my Lenten discipline through the lessons of Black History Month

Memories of a saint

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Father Joseph Breighner

Father Joseph Breighner is a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and a columnist for the Catholic Review.

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

What does it taste like?

4 tips for building a media-smart family

Here is the simplest way to share faith with kids

Let good prevail

Living my Lenten discipline through the lessons of Black History Month

| Recent Local News |

Clarksville school shapes educators in faith formation

From robotics to hip-hop: Elementary schools offer wide range of clubs

Tuition at Catholic high schools in Baltimore archdiocese significantly lower than other area private schools

All are welcome: Finding a home at Mount St. Joseph

CCSE aims to expand special educational mission

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • What does it taste like?
  • 4 tips for building a media-smart family
  • Affordable child care key component of post-Roe response, advocates say
  • Movie Review: ’80 for Brady’
  • Ukraine’s embattled religious orders keep faith and hope alive amid war
  • Here is the simplest way to share faith with kids
  • Speakers address how local churches can protect lives of mothers, unborn children from domestic violence
  • Clarksville school shapes educators in faith formation
  • Papal farm, gardens will be home to new center promoting sustainability

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED