New Sons of Adam group to support men touched by abortion

Published: 2007-03-13

OLD HICKORY, Tenn. (CNS) -- The focus of nearly every discussion of abortion is on the woman or her unborn child. Often hidden in the abortion issue is its impact on the man. "There is always a father," said Father Steve Wolf, pastor of St. Stephen Catholic Community in Old Hickory. "Their role or lack of role in the decision can create a stream of consequences that may accompany the man through the rest of his life." Father Wolf is starting a discussion group called Sons of Adam for men who are suffering from an experience of abortion. "Because men are told they have no say in the abortion decision -- that it is about a woman and her choice -- they later struggle with the questions they pose to themselves and the emotions they feel," Father Wolf told the Tennessee Register, newspaper of the Nashville Diocese. Those emotions may take numerous forms, including rage, a sense of impotence or grief over the loss of fatherhood, he explained. Some men react self-destructively, by turning to alcohol, drugs or other risk-taking behaviors. Others experience nightmares and suicidal thoughts. Father Wolf hopes talking about their experience with abortion will help men avoid such problems.

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