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A recent Gallup poll showed that the percentage of people who identify themselves as "pro-choice" on abortion rises with the amount of education a person has. When we think of the relationship of poverty to abortion, we usually focus on the obviously causal connection: Having a child is expensive and having an abortion is cheap. Poverty truly is the leading abortifacient in America. But, this poll illustrates another fact, something that suggests Pope Francis really, really knows what he is talking about when he urges us Catholics to go out and be with the poor. The poor are more forgiving of the circumstances an unwed mother faces. The poor understand that life throws challenges in one's path. The poor are very resilient. The poor are less inclined to pose the question - what will this pregnancy mean for my career? The poor are closer to God. The truth is often hidden from the smart set.
