Open Letter from Bitter catholic Feminists

If you read the signatories of this vicious anti-Catholic screed, you'll find that many of these women teach theology, including 'moral theology'!

From One Mad Mom

This is the first thing I saw this morning. You just know when you see the term “reproductive justice” it’s going to be anything but Catholic. Shocker, it was exactly as I thought it would be: just a bunch of shrews “catholicsplaining” to the rest of the world from their ivory towers.

I can usually get away with just commenting after whole paragraphs, but just about every sentence is crammed with crud, so, for once, I’ll just write it as I read it with my morning coffee. Wouldn’t want you to miss what it’s like being inside my head when I read this stuff!

OPEN LETTER FROM CATHOLIC WOMEN: RECLAIMING PUBLIC DEBATES ABOUT ABORTION & REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE [Right now I’m thinking that true “reproductive justice” would be you not being allowed to have children or teach anyone else’s.]

We write as Catholic women [Are you sure about any of that?] at a time when the opinions of judges and lawmakers are viewed as more valid than our own lived experiences with reproductive health. [Repeat after me: Abortion and contraception have nothing to do with health. Neither treats a disease. They cause physical death of baby as well as spiritual death of mom.] We are theologians, [So many people throw that title around] scholars, [debatable] advocates, [advocating what? Evil?] mothers [That’s unfortunate.] and daughters […with some serious mommy and/or daddy issues]  who watch in anguish [dramatic much?] as abortion bans make pregnancies even more dangerous for women. [I’ve got news for you. Far fewer women have died or been maimed since the abortion bans. Yes, it’s true that a few medical “ethicists” and doctors have turned women away whose baby no longer had a heartbeat or who had ectopic pregnancies and thus no longer fell under these bans for surgical/medical procedures which would normally kill a child. However, people like these “Catholic women” have endlessly lied about the fact that this was anything other than malpractice and/or a chance to show how dangerous these bans were. These “Catholic women” are hard-pressed to find one case to prove their point. How is it that Ireland, who resisted abortion among the longest, had stellar maternal health numbers until then? Even the case they used to overturn their abortion bans was a lie and based on what should have been a malpractice case.] We see how decades of disinvestment in the social safety net and more recent restrictions on women’s reproductive care disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic women. [What in the what??? Decades can be based on the last year? Up until then, women were free to abort at will. They still can use birth control all they want. Please. All the supposed “social safety net” did was to produce more broken families and more dead women and children. More money than ever is given to “social programs” and, despite this, not enough makes it to women and children, so fix that, ladies. Don’t suggest that killing the poor Black and Hispanic women’s children is the solution. That would actually play right into Margaret Sanger’s plan on getting rid of them. How about we take the money we give to “the arts” and give it to poor families??? How about that?! No comment? Didn’t think so.] We are moved by compassion and conscience [“We’re so benevolent to the unwashed.” I think I just vomited a little.] to say clearly that laws and policies celebrated as  “pro-life” by our Church leaders often hurt women and demean our dignity. [No, ladies, it is you who do that. And, by the way, stop using euphemisms like “our Church leaders” and just admit you don’t like the all-male hierarchy. That’s who you’re really talking about because you are bitter that it’s one glass ceiling you can’t break.]

Culture wars over abortion have divided our Church, [No, feminist babes, it’s you. You have divided the Church. Let’s not blame this on the inability to kill children, or, should I say, to morally kill children. It’s not a “culture war.” It’s about murder.] coarsened political discourse and left a legacy of mistrust and resentment. [What are you talking about? I have no mistrust or resentment towards the teachings of the Catholic Church. The only people I mistrust and resent is people who claim to be Catholic but do not embrace the Church’s teachings. Why? Because you are morally disingenuous and deserve mistrust and resentment.] Pregnancy, parenthood and the totality of women’s lives have been turned into simplistic slogans. [Says the women who use “Catholic” in a wholly inconsistent way.] We are told to “choose life” [Oh, the horrors!] even as the policies needed to build a culture of life and dignity for women and families are rejected by the same politicians who criminalize our reproductive decisions. [Reproductive decisions? No slogans or euphemisms there.]

We applaud Church leaders who walk with people as pastors,[translation – those who tell us our sin is not a sin] but a vocal segment of clergy has created a culture of stigma and shame that shuts down conversations about women’s health. [Nobody is shutting down conversation on women’s health, but we totally should be shutting down conversations on things like birth control and abortion which hurt us.] This culture contributes to retaliation in the public square as some bishops weaponize Communion against Catholic politicians. [Awwww, isn’t this cute. The ivory tower women’s club is giving cover to Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden.] In addition, when bishops describe abortion as the “preeminent priority” in elections, [Because it is.] the fullness of Catholic social teaching [as if you are the arbitrator of that or even know what that is. You don’t kill children and harm women to solve social issues. You don’t kill children and harm women to solve social issues. You don’t kill children and harm women…] is narrowed in ways that are exploited by partisan agendas [Truth is not exploitation.]and that devalue the theological and spiritual role of discernment in making difficult decisions. [Did Father Martin write this screed? I think these ladies should spend less time writing and more time studying how to “discern” decisions in light of TRUE Catholic teaching. The “Primacy of Conscience” as Fr. Martin and club peddle it is a LIE. You know this but you want what you want.]

We have three core reasons for speaking out. [Can’t wait to hear this. I mean, if the core reasons weren’t laid out in the ramblings above, this ought to be good.]

We need better public conversations about abortion and reproductive justice that acknowledge the full complexity of women, pregnancy, parenthood and reproductive decisions. [Because we haven’t been having them for well over 50 years? Are you babes really this myopic? Maybe pick up a Church document or writings from a pope from time to time? Maybe read, oh, I don’t know, Theology of the Body? Humanae Vitae? Evangelium Vitae? Or a host of others? It’s time to reclaim the public narrative [Here’s an idea: how about we reclaim the Catholic narrative from the anything but crowd like you?] from a vocal minority of religious and political leaders [So, if the bishops are in the minority, they should simply stop teaching Catholicism?] who have monopolized these debates for too long. [The only people who have been talking far too long are people like you ladies. Your way is not the Catholic way simply because you claim Catholicism. You are bad Catholics and bad Catholics shouldn’t have a say in anything remotely Catholic.] Catholic universities, [ what they really mean are all the CINOs out there. Catholic In Name Only is the long form for those not familiar.] parishes, faith-based non-profits and those of us who have a public platform as intellectuals, scholars and advocates should help foster these conversations. [But not you faithful Catholics. You all need to just shut up. That’s really what they’re going for. Only women who they think hold their class of “intellectuals, scholars and advocates” need apply. The rest of you can take a seat in the back of the bus.]

Catholic women have moral agency and baptismal dignity. [Well, some of us do and some of us have given that all up.]  We encourage Catholic women to share their experiences and recognize the power of their stories. [“Their stories” do not change the truth that God will hold them responsible for the death of children and the destruction of, say, the family. Let me help you ladies, your experience really doesn’t matter. God’s will does. Stop being and encouraging people to be narcissists. Your precious “lived experience” has nothing to do with the Truth of Catholic doctrine.] It’s especially important for women to be heard in a Church led by an all-male hierarchy. [By gosh! Who knew they’d say the quiet part out loud. Some call these men our shepherds and some call them the evil “all-male hierarchy” as if men cannot possibly possess Truth. Bitter much, ladies? Again, I’m thinking some of these babes have some serious daddy issues.] Because it takes courage to have these challenging conversations, [Actually, it takes courage to follow the teachings of the Catholic Church, pick up our crosses and to choose the narrow path. It just takes envy to do what you’re doing.] women can’t be expected to speak out unless Church leaders also work to create a culture of respect and listening. [Oh my gosh, I really wish the female doctors of the Church and Our Lady could appear to you and tell you what fools you are. What I wouldn’t pay to see St. Catherine give you a tongue lashing. Look what contraception and abortion has done to our world, ladies. You want people to have respect and love for “poor Black and Hispanic women?” How about you stop suggesting they need to kill or prevent their offspring so that they can be saved. I know this is lost on you, but that actually isn’t loving in the least. Stop trying to justify your use of contraception and abortion on their backs. I’m pretty sure that’s what this all comes down to. You are willing to throw them under the bus to ease your own guilt. “I’m not doing this for me. This is for those poor women.” Garbage.]

We urge elected officials to support robust policies that address how economic, racial and reproductive justice are interconnected. [I urge elected officials to run far away from anything remotely connected to “reproductive justice” – aka the ability to contracept and to abort – which has nothing to do with justice. I can’t believe I have to still say this to women who claim Catholicism as their reason for doing whatever, but killing children is never just nor is separating the procreative and unitive aspects of marriage.]  Abortion is often viewed as a single issue, but women do not make decisions in isolation. [Again, there is no justification for contraception or killing children. None.]  The lack of quality health care, the high cost of raising children, poverty wages for workers, sexual violence and rape, and the racial gap in maternal mortality rates all impact how women make decisions about our reproductive lives. [Regardless of the truth in any of this, still does not excuse abortion and contraception. I wonder how many more times I’ll have to say that one.] Reproductive justice [Buzz phrase that sounds all great but means killing children and contracepting] is a holistic framework that makes these connections and rejects binary or single-issue solutions. [The solution is not to abort and contracept. The solution is to love. The solution is to teach every human being the beauty of God’s will. If everyone did this, we wouldn’t have a problem, would we? Because people don’t do this is not a reason to ignore God’s will for life and marriage. I mean, are you really going with “Well, people are going to sin so we just have to mitigate the cost to society?” How loving. It’s right up there with “People are going to have sex so we should just give them contraception even though it will kill their souls, kill their children, kill their marriages, etc.” It’s been brilliant for society, hasn’t it? So much less out of wedlock sex going on, more stable marriages, fewer dead children…or not.]

Our nation’s social safety nets fail to provide women with the support they need to have children and raise families in safe and healthy environments. [Killing them works so much better.]  The March of Dimes reports that more than two million women of childbearing age live in maternity care deserts where there is no hospital offering obstetric care, no birth center and no obstetric provider. [Newsflash: Abortion and contraception don’t solve that problem, and I’m also not going to listen to an organization that supports abortion – especially the abortion of those they claim to care about.] Women in states with abortion bans are now nearly three times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth or soon after giving birth, according to a January 2023 report from the Gender Equity Policy Institute. [There were FAR fewer maternal deaths in 2022 than in 2021. FAR fewer. And with Roe going down mid-way through the year, that number should have skyrocketed by all their rhetoric, but it did not. But, by all means, let’s look at the “Gender Equity Policy Institute’s” dire predictions. No preying on fear over reality there. That’s all they’ve got – fear and lies.]

Some states that ban abortion have chosen not to expand Medicaid, which covers about 40 percent of all births and the majority of births for low-income families. [Wait! Wait! Wait! You mean Obamacare didn’t work?! Say it ain’t so!]

Even before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, states with the most restrictive abortion laws had some of the worst maternal and child health outcomes in the country. [Again, the nation’s maternal mortality rates decreased since Roe went down, which is exactly the opposite of what we were told would happen.] In 2021, the United States had one of the worst rates of maternal mortality in the country’s history, according to a report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. [And let’s note that was when abortion was totally legal] For Black women in the U.S, the maternal mortality rate is nearly three times higher than the rate for white women. In Mississippi, bipartisan legislation recently passed that extends postpartum Medicaid coverage for new mothers to one year after birth, a move that we applaud and that addresses the moral scandal that most new mothers in the state lose Medicaid coverage after sixty days. [Yes. However, NONE of this has anything to do with abortion being legal. It’s illegal now and the nationwide rates have dropped. At that point, one has to ask why this isn’t the case in Mississippi and, again, it’s not because abortion is restricted there and contraception is not illegal, so these ladies have problems with the causation problem. While looking at Mississippi is convenient for them, they also might want to look at the other abysmal states for maternal mortality. 8 out of 10 of them are blue. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/09/opinion/roe-abortion-women-death.html ]

We call on lawmakers to expand Medicaid; implement child tax credits that have proven to significantly decrease child poverty; support full, paid parental leave [note parental and not maternal] after the birth of a child; do more to help families cover the high cost of childcare; and ensure that workers are paid living wages. All of these policies are rooted in principles of solidarity, the dignity of work and the common good found in Catholic social teaching. [And just think, the “all-male hierarchy” said this all without your help.] We recognize that even many of our own Catholic institutions are not doing nearly enough to support policies that help women, children and families flourish. Catholic institutions should be national models for paying just wages to our workers, offering comprehensive pre-and post-natal health insurance coverage, and guaranteeing fully paid parental [Again with the “parental.”] leave after the birth of a child.

We end with an invitation for more Catholics and other people of faith to join us in our effort to create better public conversations about abortion and reproductive justice that reject tired labels and grapple with complexity. [There’s a reason that these two misguided conversations aren’t in the Compendium on Social Doctrine. They aren’t doctrine, they run counter to it. They are a hazard to society and are anything but just. How about we stick to Catholicism?] Each of us have deeply personal and often different views about abortion, [But we shouldn’t because it’s evil.] and we respect the fact that people of goodwill have sincere disagreements on these issues. [Uh, because they are evil.] By sharing our stories, [Your stories don’t matter when it comes to killing children and contraception.] convening dialogues and building new coalitions, together we can do our part to reject divisive culture wars and focus on uniting behind a comprehensive agenda that supports women and families. [Take abortion and “reproductive justice” out of your proposal and we might have something to talk about. Death of body and soul isn’t on the table.]

[A note to faithful Catholic parents: If you are writing checks to one of these Catholic in name only schools, please demand that their teachers adhere to the Catholic faith, CC the bishop of their diocese and send it to the Papal Nuncio while you’re at it.]

 Signed,

Bitter catholic Feminists [Yeah, I added that. True though.]

Natalia Imperatori-Lee, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Religious Studies

Director, Catholic Studies Program

Manhattan College

María Teresa [MT] Dávila, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Chair, Religious and Theological Studies

Merrimack College

Lisa Sowle Cahill

Professor of Theology

Boston College

Jeanné Lewis

Interim CEO

Faith in Public Life

Neomi De Anda, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Department of Religious Studies

Marianist Educational Associate [MEA]

Human Rights Center Research Associate

University of Dayton

Past President, Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States

Amy M. Doorley, M.A., M.S., P.C.C.

Coordinator of Graduate Studies

Department of Religious Studies

University of Dayton

Cecilia González-Andrieu

Professor of Theology

Loyola Marymount University

Nancy Pineda-Madrid

Professor and T. Marie Chilton Chair of Catholic Theology

Loyola Marymount University

Nicole M. Flores

Associate Professor of Religious Studies

Director of Health, Ethics, & Society Minor

University of Virginia

Jeannine Hill Fletcher

Professor of Theology

Fordham University

Nancy Dallavalle

Associate Professor of Religious Studies

Special Assistant to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences

Fairfield University

Brenna Moore

Professor, Department of Theology

Fordham University

Therese Lysaught, Ph.D.

Professor

Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy, Stritch School of Medicine

Loyola University Chicago

Pontifical Academy for Life

Editor, The Journal of Moral Theology

Kathleen Maas Weigert

Professor Emerita, Department of Sociology

Loyola University Chicago

Hille Haker

Professor of Catholic Ethics

Loyola University Chicago

Susan A. Ross, Ph.D.

Professor of Theology, Emerita

Loyola University Chicago

Mariana M Miller, M.A.

Assistant Dean for Continuing Education

Institute of Pastoral Studies

Loyola University Chicago

Mollie Wilson O’Reilly

Editor at Large, Commonweal magazine

Marie Dennis

Senior Program Director, Catholic Nonviolence Initiative

Pax Christi International

Emily Reimer-Barry, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Theology and Religious Studies

University of San Diego

Susie Paulik Babka, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Studies

University of San Diego

Karen Teel, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Theology and Religious Studies

University of San Diego

Mary Doak, Ph.D.

Professor of Theology

University of San Diego

Elisabeth T. Vasko

Associate Professor of Theology

Duquesne University

Jacqueline M. Hidalgo

Professor of Latina/o Studies and Religion

Williams College

Christina R. Zaker, D. Min.

Director, Field Education

Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry

Catholic Theological Union

Vanessa White, OFS, D.Min.

Associate Professor of Spirituality and Ministry

Catholic Theological Union

Kimberly M. Lymore, M.Div., D.Min.

Director, Augustus Tolton Pastoral Ministry Program

Catholic Theological Union

Convener, Black Catholic Theological Symposium

Michele Saracino

Professor, Department of Religious Studies

Manhattan College

 Stacy Davis

Professor of Religious Studies and Theology

Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame IN

 Lisa Fullam, D.V.M., Th.D.

Professor emerita, Moral Theology

Jesuit School of Theology

Santa Clara University

 Dolores L. Christie, Ph.D.

Retired Executive Director

Catholic Theological Society of America

 Kaya Oakes

Continuing Lecturer

College Writing Programs

University of California, Berkeley

Kate Ward

Assistant Professor of Theology

Marquette University

Colleges and universities are included for identification purposes only.