As the primary American pope, Leo XIV has in large part have shyed away from talking out about home politics in the USA.
He waded into controversy, on the other hand, via commenting at the Archdiocese of Chicago’s plan to honor U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who has represented Illinois since 1997, with an entire life fulfillment award for his paintings on immigration problems. Some Catholic critics had been adverse to Durbin, who has supported the suitable to a criminal abortion, receiving such an award – and he in the long run declined it.
On Sept. 30, 2025, when journalists in Italy requested in regards to the scenario, Leo stated, “It’s important to look at many issues that are related to the teachings of the church.”
“Someone who says I’m against abortion but is in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life,” he stated. “And someone who says I’m against abortion but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro-life.”
The circle of relatives of a detained guy from Ecuador is comforted via a clergyman on Sept. 25, 2025, in New York Town.
Stephanie Keith/Getty Pictures
In American politics, being “pro-life” is frequently equated with being adverse to abortion. However as Leo’s feedback spotlight, it’s now not so easy.
In my analysis into the fashionable pro-life motion, I’ve discovered nice selection in how other other folks and organizations use the time period, what problems they marketing campaign for, and the way spiritual convictions pressure their paintings.
Public opinion
If being pro-life approach worrying about immigrants’ rights and opposing abortion, a minority of American citizens seem to subscribe to the pope’s imaginative and prescient.
On Oct. 22, 2025, PRRI – a assume tank that researches the intersection of faith, tradition and politics – launched effects from a survey asking respondents about immigration and abortion. The survey was once performed on-line in August and September.
Amongst all respondents, 61% say that immigrants, irrespective of criminal standing, must have elementary rights and protections, together with the power to problem deportation in courtroom. Sixty-five % oppose deporting undocumented immigrants with out due procedure to prisons in different international locations.
The Rev. Frank O’Loughlin, an Irish priest, celebrates Mass on Aug. 16, 2025, out of doors the immigrant detention middle referred to as ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ in Ochopee, Fla., status in cohesion with the ones detained.
Chandan Khanna/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
Strengthen for immigrants’ rights is much less commonplace, on the other hand, amongst individuals who oppose the suitable to an abortion.
Total, 36% of respondents imagine abortion must be unlawful in all or maximum circumstances, whilst 61% imagine the process must be criminal in all or maximum circumstances.
Amongst individuals who imagine abortion must be unlawful, most effective 40% say immigrants must have elementary rights, in comparison to 75% of respondents who imagine abortion must be criminal in all or maximum circumstances.
When requested whether or not the federal government “should detain immigrants who are in the country illegally in internment camps until they can be deported,” most effective 37% of American citizens agree. Amongst those that oppose legalized abortion, on the other hand, that proportion higher to 57%. Amongst American citizens who give a boost to legalized abortion, most effective 27% give a boost to detention.
Having a look at responses from U.S. Catholics, there are transparent patterns in keeping with race and ethnicity.
40-two % of white Catholics imagine abortion must be unlawful in all or maximum instances, in comparison to 35% of Hispanic Catholics.
40-seven % of white Catholics, in the meantime, disagree with immigrant detention. Amongst Hispanic Catholics, that proportion rises to 76%. In a similar fashion, 50% of white Catholics imagine immigrants must have elementary rights, in comparison to 76% of Hispanic Catholics.
‘Pro-life’ label
Leo’s feedback and public opinion information show the problem of defining what it approach to spot as pro-life.
In my interviews with pro-life activists and analysis into their advocacy, I’ve additionally noticed extensive variation inside the motion.
Organizations are strategic in opting for the pro-life problems they paintings on.
Some teams that use that label suggest in opposition to abortion and don’t see it of their challenge to head past that. One suggest I interviewed stated, “We want to be single-issue. … We want to have a large coalition, and being single-issue is how we do that.”
This suggest works for an earthly, nationwide group that opposes abortion as it ends the lifetime of a human organism. She stated that it may be tough to come to a decision the place to attract the road: “How connected does something have to be to abortion for it to count?” This query arises when the crowd chooses whether or not to invest on insurance policies reminiscent of increasing investment for adoption products and services.
A protester demonstrates in entrance of a Deliberate Parenthood health facility on July 12, 2022, in Saint Paul, Minn.
AP Picture/Abbie Parr
Different teams that determine as pro-life are ideologically conservative and frequently tackle different tradition conflict problems. The Heart for Christian Distinctive feature, for instance, advocates in opposition to abortion but additionally is in prefer of faculty selection and higher investment for “responsible fatherhood initiatives,” reminiscent of parenting categories and mentorship methods.
Nonetheless different teams center of attention on each beginning-of-life and end-of-life problems. Those organizations are impressed via spiritual ideals that lifestyles is a present from God and must be secure from conception till herbal dying. Along with abortion, those organizations oppose using embryos and fetal stem cells in medical analysis and frequently oppose in vitro fertilization. In addition they suggest in opposition to legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.
A fourth form of crew has a extra expansive definition of pro-life, intently aligned with Leo’s feedback. Those teams, whose challenge statements are frequently secular, once in a while confer with themselves as protective lifestyles “womb to tomb,” or “pro-life for the whole life.” Teams reminiscent of Democrats for Lifetime of The usa and New Wave Feminists incorporate problems reminiscent of financial inequality, systemic discrimination and give a boost to for migrants into their advocacy.
Organizations with this sort of holistic way might also describe themselves as following a “consistent life ethic.” Popularized via Cardinal Joseph Bernardin within the Nineteen Eighties, the time period stems from Catholic social instructing however may be utilized by secular teams. This way emphasizes human dignity and supporting insurance policies that confirm lifestyles in any respect levels. That can come with opposition to the dying penalty and give a boost to for social methods, reminiscent of meals and housing help.
Function of faith
From my analysis, I’ve now not discovered a transparent dating between the insurance policies a gaggle advocates on behalf of and its spiritual association.
Many explicitly name themselves Catholic or Christian. Their challenge statements might point out faith. Their publications might come with Bible quotes or prayers. They sponsor occasions in collaboration with church buildings.
As an example, the American Existence League identifies itself as “the oldest grassroots Catholic pro-life education organization in the United States.” Scholars for Lifetime of The usa calls its remark of religion “Judeo-Christian,” despite the fact that kind of 8 in 10 American Jews give a boost to criminal abortion.
Anti-abortion protesters wait out of doors the Ultimate Courtroom for a choice at the Russo v. June Scientific Services and products LLC case on June 29, 2020.
Patrick Semansky/AP
Even in teams that don’t describe themselves as spiritual, despite the fact that, some leaders and contributors say they’re attracted to the purpose as a result of their religion. An suggest from one such crew described most of the contributors as “Pope Francis Catholics,” indicating a extra innovative view on many social problems.
Different secular teams tie their pro-life advocacy to a broader combat for human rights. Rehumanize Global, to call one, says its challenge is to “ensure that each and every human being’s life is respected, valued, and protected.” Such teams might hang innovative perspectives reminiscent of opposing conflict and the dying penalty, in addition to fear about local weather trade. Political science analysis signifies that positioning opposition to abortion as a human rights factor, quite than a spiritual one, might draw in extra more youthful American citizens.
It will be a mistake to think that everybody in those actions adheres to 1 perspective, or is most effective in preventing abortion. In truth, there are lots of motivations that result in other folks the use of the word “pro-life.”
