I hold the U.S. Catholic bishops responsible for contributing to the perpetuation of poverty in some of the world's poorest countries. Their relentless efforts to restrict foreign aid whenever it involves contraception or reproductive healthcare have consequences that reach far beyond religious doctrine. They affect the lives, futures, and economic well-being of millions of women and children.
Imagine the difference it would make if every woman had the freedom to decide whether she wants children, when she wants them, and how many she can afford to raise. Access to contraception and reproductive healthcare gives women control over their futures. It allows them to pursue an education, earn a living, protect their health, and provide better opportunities for the children they already have. It is not simply a women's rights issue; it is a poverty issue, an economic issue, and a human rights issue.
Yet the bishops continue to use their political influence to obstruct legislation and foreign assistance that could provide these women with the resources and choices they desperately need. Their religious convictions may dictate their own lives, but why should they dictate the reproductive choices of women who do not share their faith?
I find it profoundly troubling that an institution claiming to champion human dignity and the sanctity of life would work to restrict access to resources that could improve and save lives.
If the Catholic bishops truly care about the world's most vulnerable women and children, they should stop standing in the way of their opportunities for a better future. Poverty is not alleviated by denying women choices. It is alleviated by giving them the power, resources, and freedom to shape their own lives.
