It happened again, and for the 42nd time.
On January 22 of this year, the mall in Washington DC was filled with representatives from all 50 states to take part in the annual March For Life.
The Park Services made no estimate of the crowd, something it ceased doing several years ago for political reasons when threatened with a lawsuit over its estimates.
This was the 42nd annual event to celebrate life, in response to the anniversary of the Roe vs Wade Supreme Court decision handed down on January 22, 1973. That decision ruled that the constitution of the USA gave women the right to abort their pre-born offspring.
Unofficial estimates for this year’s rally varied, from “tens of thousands” to “hundreds of thousands.” depending on the politics of the agencies reporting. Still, it appears that the number this year was modestly higher than 250,000, and, according to one source, possibly one of the biggest political rallies in DC history.
This year’s participants covered the mall. Their placards and banners waving above the crowds appeared as dense as though this were a critical political rally: “Defend Life,” their signs read; “I am a voice for the voiceless;” “Thank God my mom’s pro-life.”
The throngs moved in an orderly fashion from the National Mall to the Supreme Court building, a logical terminal point.
As usual the Catholic presence and participation was clearly evident and the large numbers of young people participating spoke volumes for the depth of their conviction.
At a separate event at the Basilica, Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley addressed a capacity crowd of more than 11,000. He outlined and corrected the three major myths on the subject of abortion that are circulated broadly but are not true:
Myth 1: Abortion is a women’s issue. Reality: It is a human issue and men must not shirk their share of responsibility; Myth 2: Most Americans are pro-choice / pro-abortion. Reality: Polls show the opposite; Myth 3: Young people favor abortion rights overwhelmingly. Reality: The facts do not support this.
“We must press on with full assurance we will overcome,” he told his audience, exciting a rise of cheers. The large number of young people in the audience gave strong hope that the battle for the protection of human life will continue unabated.
As has been the case for many years, a March for Life will also be held in Ottawa, Canada, the nation’s capital, this year on May 14. Last year, in Canada with a population of approximately 10 percent of the USA there were an estimated 23,000 people involved in the march.
These marches, despite their numbers and significance, get little coverage from the secular press and all too little from Christian forces.
These events are nevertheless valuable in standing for the sanctity of human life, and keeping alive the real truth about abortion: that it destroys a developing human life — violently.
Each victim is innocent, without advocacy, and largely unprotected. In the last 42 years 56 million have died in the United States and an estimated 5 million in Canada.
An additional result is great numbers of women who must reckon with consciences that will not be silenced, and two nations, many of whose future citizens are destroyed in the name of liberty.
These public demonstrations speak for the unborn most of all. But they also remind the public that legal rulings cannot change moral absolutes.
And for many they proclaim again that human life is a gift from God, formed in his image, and that wanton destruction must eventually be answered for at the Final Judgment.
Just Call Me Pastor 
Pastor ,thankyou. Once again speaking up for the unborn ,in this week’s blog,as you did in December’s ‘Kate’s Baby Bump’ blog.Best wishes to Canadians, for the Ottawa march in May.
61 million unborn killed in USA & Canada alone,these last 42 years!.How can this happen in civilized North America ?This is a hidden holocaust, a modern genocide like the Nazi Holocaust in mid 20th century Europe and the Slavery Holocaust in 18th and 19th century Africa ,where people were killed in ship loads and used as slaves if they even reached the New World to which they were abducted.
Abortion genocide is a world holocaust and happening here and now ,mostly unseen.When mifepristone and prostaglandin is used to poison and destroy the unborn persons environment,the womb,no human eye is there to witnesss the horror.Only when the dead unborn person is painfully bled out from the mother’s vagina,is the killing witnessed by mother and clinician.
When suction termination or vacuum aspiration is used ,removing the unborn person as if they were no more than trash,accompanied by heavy and lengthy bleeding for mother,,.again this is a dity secret ,witnessed only by mother and clinician.And by everpresent God.
In late abortions ,under general anaesthetic ,the unborn’s heart is stopped .The next day the body is removed as if it was so much clinical waste.
Illegal backstreet abortions are even more unpleasant .Wire is inserted and manipulated to physically assault to the death ,the unborn person within her environment, an environment designed to be a protective environment.Again this killing procedure is hidden away,behind closed doors,unseen by polite society.Out of sight,out of mind. The Lord our God sees !
And so the killing goes on ,on a grand scale.
We should know about these things,open our eyes .Our consciences should be open to them.Glib phrases like ‘ a woman’s right to choose’ shouldn’t blind us to the fact that it is so often not a woman’s choice.Women are often cajoled into abortions by men who have deceived them into the false concept of free love.
So called free love often means merely freedom of selfish unloving men to take sexual pleasure from women ,free from responsibility,free from love Sexual congress without humanity ,without the commitment of love or marriage or paternity is a sham,not congress or union at all but but selfishness.For which the unwanted ,unborn often pay the price,along with the traumatized mother.Only the father feels detached and free of the consequences.
It is good that marches like the annual Washington march for Life bring our attention to the scandal of the routine killing of so many unborn.Good to that words like this ‘Just Call Me Pastor ‘ speak for the unborn.
I recently watched a moving Romanian film which won the Cannes Film Festival Palm D’Or in 2007.Set in the twilight years of Communist Rumania it’s titled ‘4 months ,3 weeks and 2 days’ and is based on the true life story of a Rumanian college girl who pays for an illegal abortion.Unlike America ,Canada and China etc ,late abortion was illegal even in communist Rumania.I believe it constituted murder and could result in a minimum 10 year jail sentence.
The film showed the wretched abortion trauma faced by college girl Gabita. Rumania ,even under communisn ,was a deeply Catholic society,and the image of Gabita wearing her crucifix even during her abortion is quite shocking.Earlier we see her loving father visit her in her college room to bring her cake from home.He doesn’t know his daughter is pregnant.She dodn’t confide in her loving father .Poignantly he offers to polish Gabita’s crucifix for her.
This harrowing and explicit film shows the full tragedy of abortion for all concerned.It is cruel and brutal and a denial of the gift of life for the unborn and a shocking corrupting ecperience for the mother.
Life comes into being through God.
Tthe Beloved Disciple says of Jesus
‘’In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.’’ John 1:4 NASB
Who dare destroy that life and put out that light ?
Dear Francis: This is an excellent review. I hope lots of people read it. DNB