It often feels like the world is against me. As a devout liberal, I find myself in an unusual position, facing hostility from both sides. Many progressives are baffled by my commitment to my Catholic faith. I oppose abortion and attend Mass every Sunday; I also believe women shouldn’t serve as priests. I hold strong views against pornography, advocate for the illegality of prostitution, and I support monogamy wholeheartedly. My children’s names—Blaise, Augustin, and Simon Peter—reflect my deep Catholic roots.
On the other side, most conservative Catholics, particularly Republicans, critique me for my liberal stance. I align with figures like Dorothy Day, who emphasized aiding the poor. I believe poverty arises from social circumstances, not personal choices, and I advocate for immediate universal health care, viewing its absence as inhumane. I am convinced that sexual orientation has a genetic basis and hope the Church will eventually embrace this understanding. I support expanding welfare programs, affordable housing, and job creation while rejecting the narrative that individuals can pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Global poverty and wage slavery are pressing concerns. My consumer choices reflect these values, as I mainly buy second-hand clothing. Additionally, I advocate for stringent gun control measures—the kind that go beyond typical political discourse.
While liberals often label me anti-woman, anti-sex, and overly conservative due to my rejection of polyamory, Republicans criticize my questioning of free-market ideals and my refusal to prioritize abortion above all else. This makes finding a candidate whom I can wholeheartedly support nearly impossible. I won’t vote for Republicans, as many seem to believe that personal effort alone can lift individuals out of poverty, suggesting a lack of social support is justified. Their unwavering faith in the free market raises doubts about their reasoning.
Though I acknowledge that abortion is akin to murder, I see a gap in the solutions proposed by Republicans. They advocate for banning abortion without committing to essential social reforms—such as expanded counseling, job programs, and increases in WIC and Medicaid funding—necessary to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Effective solutions require access to contraception, family planning resources, and programs to combat domestic violence and human trafficking. We also need enhanced educational and employment opportunities for young women, along with affordable housing solutions. Increased funding for daycare and a robust foster care system are also vital. Unfortunately, Republicans often resist investing in these initiatives, and even if they did, experts suggest that the number of abortions might not decrease; instead, they would become dangerous and illegal. There’s a troubling trend of wanting to arm citizens under the pretext of safety, often targeting marginalized communities.
My struggle extends to aligning with liberal candidates as well. While I often resonate with their positions on climate change, gun control, immigration reform, and marijuana legalization, the conversation tends to shift abruptly to a woman’s right to choose, at which point I feel marginalized. My early activism was rooted in anti-abortion efforts, and discussions around partial-birth abortion make me uncomfortable. I wholeheartedly support universal health care and environmental reforms, but I cannot endorse candidates who prioritize a pro-choice agenda that I fundamentally oppose.
I might be among the few who advocate for banning pornography while simultaneously supporting the legalization of marijuana.
Yes, I am a Catholic liberal.
And yes, I know that many disapprove of my views.