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October is Respect Life Month. Protecting the unborn is essential, but being pro-life reaches further. Every person bears God-given dignity: the child in the womb, the elderly neighbor, the person with a disability, and the stranger who needs help. A culture of life grows in the habits that form us: how we welcome, serve, accompany, and care for one another. What kind of people are we becoming?
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Roots of Tradition
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The Angels Beside Us
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On October 2, the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels. Scripture presents angels not as sentimental figures, but as servants of God sent to guard, guide, and assist His people. In Matthew 18:10, Christ says of the little ones that “in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.” Psalm 91:11 says, “For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.”
The Church has long understood this guardianship as more than protection from physical danger. Guardian angels assist us on our pilgrimage toward God – encouraging what is good, helping us resist evil, and interceding for us. Their work is ordinarily unseen, but their purpose is always the same: to serve God by helping those entrusted to their care.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (336) says, “From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession.” St. Thomas Aquinas also considered the question of angelic guardianship before birth. The larger point is clear: human life is never outside God’s providential care.
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When Protecting Life Gets Complicated |
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A child’s heart condition brought abortion, surrogacy, parental rights, and medical care into one difficult dispute.
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McKenna West was carrying a child for California couple Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed when the unborn boy was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a serious heart defect. The couple requested an abortion. West refused and traveled from Alaska to Texas, where she gave birth on August 12. The boy, whom West calls Gabriel and his parents call Rumi, underwent heart surgery soon after birth.
West sought a role in medical decisions, saying she feared the couple would not provide lifesaving care. Gilkar and Ahmed disputed that claim. Gilkar testified that they began seeking treatment for the child after West refused the abortion. Their attorney said they were committed to his care.
A California court recognized Gilkar and Ahmed as the legal parents, and a Texas court honored that judgment. West asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene on September 9. On September 22, Justice Elena Kagan denied the emergency application without explaining her reasoning.
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Does a difficult diagnosis change what a life is worth?
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The dispute raises difficult questions about conscience, parenthood, and medical responsibility. It also calls for care in how we speak about the people involved. A request for abortion and a disagreement over later treatment are distinct matters; disputed motives should not be treated as settled facts.
For Catholics, a child’s dignity does not depend on health or independence. Protecting vulnerable life asks more of us than taking a side in a dispute. It asks whether we will help carry the burdens of care, support families facing frightening diagnoses, and remain present when the headlines move on.
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Follow coverage of the story here: Fox News · The Texas Tribune · KERA News
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