Abortion is being promoted as a workaround for the far messier and more urgent task of building an economy that is not mired in sexism. It is not a real choice for those in poverty.

“I come from a largely pro-life, Italian-American Catholic family, so I respect people's views about that, but I don’t respect us foisting it onto others,” Ms. Pelosi said in response to the move by Archbishop Cordileone.

“I really would prefer not to do this,” the archbishop of San Fransisco told Gloria Purvis. “But I cannot in my conscience allow the situation to continue and cause this scandal.”

“Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi’s position on abortion has become only more extreme over the years, especially in the last few months,” Archbishop Cordileone said in a statement May 20.

Economically vulnerable people of color are significantly more anti-abortion than rich white folks are.

When it comes to abortion debates, we need fewer polemics and much more compassion, especially of the kind Venerable Nelson Baker put into action.