EWTN News reports on Ryan Bomberger, a man conceived in rape and adopted on Juneteenth, who now advocates against abortion, particularly targeting the Black community. His story is a testament to the value of every human life and the power of adoption. While his personal witness is commendable, the article, typical of modernist “pro-life” efforts, remains silent on the ultimate spiritual battle and the necessity of the Church’s social reign, reducing a profound theological crisis to a matter of social activism and “rights.”
A Testimony of Life, But Within What Framework?
The article from EWTN News portal presents the story of Ryan Bomberger, a man conceived in rape and adopted on Juneteenth, who has become an outspoken advocate against abortion, particularly highlighting its devastating impact on the Black community. His personal narrative is undeniably powerful: “My birth mom chose courage in the midst of the chaos… She rejected what the world says was her right and, in some circles, her obligation. The world looks at lives like mine and says we should have been aborted.” Bomberger’s work through the Radiance Foundation, his advocacy for adoption, and his emphasis on the inherent worth of every human life are laudable actions in the natural order, reflecting a rejection of the culture of death.
However, a critical analysis from the perspective of integral Catholic faith reveals significant omissions and a fundamental misdirection in the article’s approach. While Bomberger’s witness is a powerful testament to the natural value of life, the article, and indeed much of the modern “pro-life” movement it represents, fails to anchor itself in the fullness of Catholic truth, thereby inadvertently weakening its own message and leaving the faithful ill-equipped for the true spiritual battle at hand.
The Primacy of the Supernatural: Missing the Forest for the Trees
The article focuses heavily on the natural aspects of Bomberger’s story: his adoption, his family life, his activism, and the social injustice of abortion. It speaks of “love,” “courage,” “unity,” and “truth” in a purely humanistic sense. While these are good things, they are not the ultimate good. The Catholic faith teaches that man’s primary end is the glory of God and eternal salvation. “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:25).
The article’s silence on the supernatural implications of abortion is deafening. Abortion is not merely a social ill or a violation of “human rights” (a concept often divorced from God’s law in modern discourse); it is a grave mortal sin, an act of murder that consigns the innocent soul to limbo (or worse, depending on theological opinion) and plunges the perpetrators into the abyss of hell. It is an offense against God Himself, the Author of life. By framing the issue solely in terms of “advocacy,” “defraying expenses,” and “communicating God’s heart for the most vulnerable,” the article reduces a profound theological and spiritual crisis to a humanitarian concern. It fails to mention the necessity of repentance, the sacrament of Penance, the eternal consequences of sin, or the ultimate judgment of God.
Pius XI, in his encyclical *Quas Primas*, unequivocally states: “His reign, namely, extends not only to Catholic nations or to those who, by receiving baptism according to law, belong to the Church, even though their erroneous opinions have led them astray or discord has separated them from love, but His reign encompasses also all non-Christians, so that most truly the entire human race is subject to the authority of Jesus Christ.” The article’s call for “awakening” and “truth” remains tragically incomplete without calling for the explicit recognition of Christ the King’s social reign and the submission of all laws, including those pertaining to abortion, to His divine law.
The “Pro-Life” Movement’s Modernist Blind Spot
The article’s reliance on concepts like “God-given purpose” and “equal and inherent worth” without explicitly grounding them in the Church’s Magisterium and the necessity of baptism for salvation is a subtle but dangerous modernist tendency. While these phrases are true in themselves, their usage in a secular context often implies a naturalistic understanding of human dignity, divorced from the supernatural grace that truly elevates man.
Furthermore, the article’s focus on “rights” – “what the world says was her right” – without explicitly contrasting them with God’s absolute rights and the duties of man, leaves the door open to the very errors condemned by Pope Pius IX in *The Syllabus of Errors*. Error #39 states: “The State, as being the origin and source of all rights, is endowed with a certain right not circumscribed by any limits.” The modern “pro-life” movement, by often operating within the framework of secular “human rights” rather than divine law, inadvertently legitimizes the very secularist and laicist principles that Pius XI condemned as “the plague that poisons human society” and “the secularism of our times, so-called laicism, its errors and wicked endeavors.”
The article’s call for “unity” through “Christ’s love” is commendable, but true unity can only be found in the one true Church, outside of which there is no salvation. The modern ecumenical movement, often embraced by those who claim to be “pro-life,” dilutes this truth and leads to a false sense of unity that ignores the necessity of conversion to the Catholic faith.
The Necessity of the Church’s Social Reign
Bomberger’s advocacy against Planned Parenthood’s targeting of Black communities is a powerful indictment of the abortion industry’s racist roots and practices. His statement, “Planned Parenthood kills more Black lives in two weeks than the KKK killed in a century,” is a stark and horrifying truth. However, the article fails to connect this social injustice to the broader societal apostasy that allows such evils to flourish.
Pius XI, in *Quas Primas*, laments: “We therefore have strong hope that the feast of Christ the King, which we shall henceforth celebrate annually, will bring society back to our most beloved Savior… For, the more the sweetest Name of our Redeemer is omitted with unworthy silence in international gatherings and parliaments, the more loudly it must be confessed and the more urgently the rights of Christ the Lord’s royal dignity and authority must be recognized.” The article’s call for the nation’s “soul” to be “moved by the truth that we’re created equal” is a natural good, but it lacks the supernatural imperative: that this truth can only be fully realized and protected when Christ the King is publicly acknowledged and His law reigns supreme in the state.
The article’s silence on the role of the Catholic Church as the sole divinely instituted guide for morality and social order is a critical omission. It speaks of “faith in Jesus” and “Christian families” without explicitly pointing to the Catholic Church as the only true Ark of Salvation and the only institution capable of truly ordering society according to God’s will. This omission weakens the argument by leaving it vulnerable to the very religious indifferentism and false ecumenism that the Church condemns.
Conclusion: A Call for Total Submission to Christ the King
Ryan Bomberger’s personal story is a powerful testament to the natural value of every human life and the beauty of adoption. His advocacy against the abortion industry, particularly its targeting of the Black community, is a courageous stand against a grave injustice. However, the article, and the broader “pro-life” movement it represents, falls short by operating within a naturalistic framework that fails to explicitly call for the full submission of society to Christ the King and His Church.
True justice, true peace, and true freedom from the culture of death can only be achieved when individuals, families, and states recognize the absolute sovereignty of Jesus Christ and submit to His divine law as taught and governed by His one true Church. Anything less is a compromise with the very secularism and laicism that have allowed such evils to take root. The ultimate battle is not merely for “rights” in a secular sense, but for the triumph of Christ’s Kingdom on earth, where every law, every institution, and every aspect of life is ordered towards His glory and the salvation of souls. Only then will the “inhumane institution of abortion” be truly abolished, not merely by human effort, but by the grace of God flowing from a society fully consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and obedient to the social reign of Christ the King.
Source:
Conceived in rape, adopted on Juneteenth (ewtnnews.com)
Date: 19.06.2026