Week in Review
Can Two Things Be True about the Same Story?
A new story hitting pro-life media this week left me reflecting on the fact that two things can indeed be true.
Live Action reported that surrogate McKenna West was fighting the biological parents of the child she was carrying after they requested that she abort him because he has a heart defect. At the baby’s 20-week sonogram, doctors discovered the heart defect, and the contract between the parents and West stipulated that the parents could choose to abort the child in case of an “abnormality.”
The defect, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, is treatable and requires three corrective surgeries.
West scheduled a 24-week abortion but chose not to go through with it. She located a hospital in Texas that specializes in surgeries for babies with this condition and offered to move to Texas so the child could receive care. The parents refused this offer and demanded the surrogate repay them. West then received help from the pro-life community and traveled to Texas where the Texas governor and AG offered her help and protection from the state.
On Wednesday of this week, Live Action reported that the child, Gabriel, had been born in Texas and is receiving care. However, a restraining order is preventing West from seeing him.
Now, here is where I think two things can be true about the facts of this story. First, Gabriel deserves protection and deserves to be with a family that loves and values him. Second, surrogacy is disordered, and we should never promote or glorify it.
I want to make these two distinctions because, as Catholics, we know that surrogacy takes God’s beautiful design for the family and flips it on its head.
Pope Francis said it eloquently in his 2024 call to ban surrogacy worldwide:
The path to peace calls for respect for life, for every human life, starting with the life of the unborn child in the mother’s womb, which cannot be suppressed or turned into an object of trafficking. . . . In this regard, I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother’s material needs. A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract.
In an interview with Live Action News, West explained that she decided to become a surrogate because she thought it would be a rewarding way to make money. She stated, “I thought [being a surrogate] would be a really awesome way to make extra income for my family, not have to take extra time away from my kids, and get to provide a family the amazing gift of having a child.”
While I am so glad that Gabriel was protected and is now receiving lifesaving care, the reality is that we cannot prop up the surrogate mother as a pro-life role model. Her efforts to save this baby are extremely noble, and we should recognize that she did indeed save his life, but it should also be a cautionary tale. Surrogacy turns motherhood and children into commodities, and it cannot be celebrated or promoted.
We can never glorify surrogacy, just as we can never glorify IVF. The children created through these processes deserve to be protected and cherished, but the acts themselves are, by nature, evil.
Massachusetts Governor Signs Abortion-on-Demand Bill into State Law
Maura Healey, Massachusetts’ governor and a self-proclaimed “Catholic,” signed a horrific bill into Massachusetts law on Monday, expanding abortion in the state and allowing preborn children to be killed at any stage and for any reason. As several news outlets have noted since Monday, Massachusetts has become the 10th state to permit abortion at any gestational stage in its law.
The harsh reality is that Massachusetts was already killing preborn children in abortions before Healey signed this bill; it merely had arbitrary restrictions for killing children in the third trimester of pregnancy. The so-called “Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act,” or Bill H.5595, amended its previous abortion law by removing the exceptions and gestational age of 24 weeks and instead changed the wording in the law to say, “An abortion may be performed by a physician based upon the professional judgment of the physician. . . . No medical review process shall override the professional judgment of a treating physician and a patient or the patient’s health care proxy to provide an abortion.”
The picture circulating the media is a group of women, including abortionists, surrounding Governor Healey with smiles of pride and enthusiasm as she signs more murder into law. Governor Healey’s decision to sign off on such a heinous piece of legislation illustrates the complete disregard for the human person by those who claim to advocate for women but who do not advocate for the life of the innocent children in their mothers’ wombs.
This law not only affects the lives of preborn babies in Massachusetts, but it sends a signal that the devil is prowling throughout our nation. Nevada and Virginia are currently facing proposed amendments on voter ballots this fall that would enshrine and protect abortion in their state constitutions. Idaho also faces a statute on its ballot this fall that, if passed, would expand the age and reasons to commit abortions. What happened in Massachusetts sets a tone and precedent for the rest of the country as to how little we care to defend the most innocent of human beings.
We pray for Our Lord’s mercy and justice for what is now permitted in Massachusetts. However, we must be careful as defenders of life not to quantify abortion into gestational limits and exceptions when discussing tragedies like those in Massachusetts. We must stand against every and any abortion, no matter the age or circumstance, because abortion is the murder of a human being at any stage. We ask our Lord to guide and strengthen us in this fight to protect all the innocent children in our country who fall victim to the evil of abortion.
ALL in the News
Susan Ciancio, editor of Celebrate Life Magazine and director of the Culture of Life Studies Program, recently published two articles. The first was about a nonprofit that advocates for people with Down syndrome; it was published with LifeSiteNews. The second discussed the beauty of marriage and was published on Catholic365.
ALL’s national director, Katie Brown Xavios, regularly posts updates about American Life League and its important work on social media channels X and LinkedIn. Follow her accounts to stay up to date.
Twice a week, Judie’s commentaries are distributed to an expansive media list. The list contains over 100 media outlets such as Fox News, The Federalist, Breitbart, and The Daily Caller, among others. Judie’s commentaries are each featured on the front page of ALL.org.
Pro-Life Education
Culture of Life Studies Program
Marriage and Family teaches middle schoolers that God created marriage between one man and one woman. Through the lives of saints and saintly couples, teens learn how they can stand up and defend marriage and the family in our society. This beautiful booklet is now on sale for just $5! ORDER HERE
ALL’s Education Materials
A Person’s a Person, No Matter How Small: Inaccurate science leads to the dehumanizing of preborn babies. From the moment the sperm fertilizes the egg, a new human being is created and begins growing exponentially each day. Containing a scientifically accurate and descriptive illustration of a baby’s development, this brochure not only takes you on a five-week journey with the baby as you watch him grow, but it identifies the language used by some in the scientific community who strive to obfuscate the truth about when a human being’s life truly begins. ON SALE! SHOP NOW
Pro-Life Social Media
VIDEO SHORT: Boy Scouts, AKA Scouting America, Isn’t Worthy of Pro-Life Support
Scouting has changed dramatically over the last two decades. What were once trusted brands for children have become infected with progressive ideas that creep into your child’s pursuit of great adventures. Today, Girl Scouts permits abortion and contraception as topics worthy of Gold Awards. Boy Scouts of America rejects authentic boyhood and manhood and permits girls—and girls pretending to be boys—to join the ranks.
If you think your child or grandchild is safe from Marxist indoctrination within Scouting America, then read our full report on our Charity Watchlist. Our video short illustrates some of Scouting’s sins:
Our Charity Watchlist gives Scouting America a 🔴 rating. Here's why… pic.twitter.com/6sphII3WAz
— American Life League (@AmerLifeLeague) August 12, 2026