Dorothy Day, Post-Abortive Member of Communion of Saints

Over on the Book of Face I had a conversation with somebody about the Dorothy Day documentary. Dorothy Day was a post-abortive woman who came to regret and repent her abortion. The faith assures us that Jesus Christ forgives any sin of any person who comes to him. But many Catholics do not really believe that and take grave offense at the idea that a post-abortive woman could ever really be forgiven, much less a saint. For some reason, post-abortive women are humiliated and repelled in their search for the love of God when they encounter such heretical lies.

Below is a conversation with a thorough confused Catholic who insisted on precisely that thesis. I wish I could say that her opinion is isolated, but I have met it before from Catholics for whom abortion is effectively the unforgivable sin. I reproduce it here, like a message in a bottle, should a post-abortive woman encounter such lies, so that she might hear a bit of the Church’s actual teaching and not the ignorant prattle of a Culture Warrior who gets their moral theology from FOX. My reader writes:

Any one who’s had an abortion, even if repented, should NEVER be placed on a platform and idolised. Their life and face ahould be kept hidden from the world just like the person they killed.

So you don’t really believe in the whole forgiveness of sins thing. Also, saints are not idols.

St. Paul was an accomplice to the murder of Stephen. Should his life and face be kept hidden from the world? There are lots of saints who committed murder and then were forgiven. Why single out Dorothy Day?

Yes I believe in the full forgiveness of sins… Holy Orthodox Monks know only too well that life-long repentance also comes in the way of remaining hidden from the world….

Then I repeat my question? Why single out Dorothy Day?

 And women like her who’ve committed abortion should NOT be idolised. First she killed the person….. Lest not we forget….

Because the article is about her.

Then we need to decanonize every penitent who participated in murder, starting with Paul. Otherwise, all you really mean is that post-abortive women cannot be saints.

Did St Paul murder the unborn????

So you are saying abortion is the unforgivable sin. Good luck squaring that with the Church’s teaching.

In the end NO ONE but God ALONE knows who are the TRULY saved the TRUE Saints. Just have to wait until you die and see who are the truly saved.

Yes. Exactly!!! We are not God to label any person, livng or dead, a Saint…

She has already been declared Servant of God. You just want to tell post-abortive women there is no hope of salvation for them.

No I am not saying that abortion is the unforgivable sin. They are your words.

Servant of God is a canonical title given by holy Church.

Then why distinguish between the killing to which Paul was an accomplice to and a post-abortive woman?

Human titles don’t mean anything to God…..

You have declared that *no* post-abortive woman can ever be a saint. But you are fine with other penitent murderers being canonized. How is that not a loud and clear message that abortion is unforgivable?

I take it you are not Catholic or Orthodox.

Like I said; NO ONE but God ALONE KNOWS who are the truly saved: the real Saints…. I suppose that picking of the human body then calling it incorruptable is OK with you.

Wrong…. Im baptised but not raised Greek Orthodox then Catholic convert 9 years ago…..

Not sure that that has to do with anything. So you are not a Catholic and just have a fetish against giving hope to post-abortive women you want to punish with guilt forever. Got it.

Then you should learn about canonization and the Church’s authority to bind and loose.

I beg your pardon…. You’re very proud.

No. You are. You take it upon yourself to sit in judgment of a penitent holy woman.

Again for the 3rd time: NOONE but God alone knows who are the truly saved.. Don’t you agree?

If no one knows that, then there is absolutely no point to the Church’s veneration of saints. We cannot know who, if anyone, is damned. But the Church’s naming of saints proves that we can know at least some of those who are saved.

The seriousness of killing an unborn must not be underestimated and women who’ve done this should not be idolised and looked upon as role models.

Do you think St. Paul is held up as a role model for people who want to murder saints? Do you think Peter is a role model for people who want to deny Christ? What do you think saints are canonized for?

Depends what your definition of Saint is. In life and living the Christian is in a journey of sainthood to the Eternal Sainthood. Don’t be too quick to judge. St Paul IS a true Saint.

How can you simultaneously say you cannot know who is saved while declaring Paul a true saint?

You are saying that we can’t ever say post-abortive women are saints. I see no evidence for that claim other than your special horror at abortion.

And given that Holy Church has already named her Servant of God, I am confident that she is in Heaven. If the Church were to canonize her, it would be a great encouragement to other penitent post-abortive women that there is no sin God cannot forgive.

One of the many poisonous fruits of the politicized prolife movement has been to stigmatize this sin as one God cannot forgive.  It is a message of condemnation and despair, not hope, for women Christ died for.

Hans Frank, Gauleiter of Poland, sought the sacrament of reconciliation and was forgiven his murder of 2 million people before he was hanged–such is the shocking power of Jesus Christ and the will of God that none be lost. Don’t nobody tell me a post-abortive mother, much less a holy woman like Dorothy Day, must hide forever in shame.