So there’s this thing called Natural Law.
“The natural law, present in the heart of each man and established by reason, is universal in its precepts and its authority extends to all men. It expresses the dignity of the person and determines the basis for his fundamental rights and duties.” (CCC 1956)
Natural Law is applicable to every facet of life, because it is present in every facet of life.
December 10 was Human Rights Day, a celebration of the day that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations sixty seven years ago. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in theory, operates under the premise that Natural Law exists. This is a great thing. Truly it is. And it’s great because it strikes a truth that we can all feel with our hearts. The Declaration acknowledges that each and every one of us has inherent dignity and inalienable rights. This is a very great thing! And it’s great because it’s the truth.
But here’s where things get not so great. The United Nations fails to recognize or protect the inherent dignity and inalienable rights of the life inside the womb. They fail to recognize or protect the inherent dignity and inalienable rights of society’s weakest. And by failing to do so, the United Nations fails to operate under the premise of Natural Law.
On the topic of Natural Law, the Catechism also says this:
“To replace it (Natural Law) with a contrary law is a sacrilege; failure to apply even one of its provisions is forbidden; no one can abrogate it entirely.” (CCC 1956)
Reproductive rights are a replacement of the Natural Law that already exists, not an extension of it. They are a sacrilege of the Natural Law present in the hearts of each of us.
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