The 50th Annual March for Life on January 20 in Washington, D.C. will take on added significance and urgency in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s monumental Dobbs decision in 2022.
The theme for this year’s March for Life is Next Steps: Marching Forward into a Post-Roe America. The event will rally and empower the pro-life community to continue to defend the unborn and protect innocent life from radical pro-abortion legislation.
Pro-Life Advocates Will March for Life
“With Roe now behind us, we are empowered to save countless innocent American lives by continuing to advocate for commonsense protections at the state and federal level, educating Americans on the intrinsic dignity of all human life,” said Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life Education and Defense Fund.
“This year will be a somber reminder of the millions of lives lost to abortion in the past 50 years, but also a celebration of how far we have come and where we as a movement need to focus our effort as we enter this new era in our quest to protect life.”
The keynote speaker for the March for Life is Jonathan Roumie, best known for his role as “Jesus” in The Chosen, the critically acclaimed streaming series that portrays the life of Christ. This summer, Roumie joined Pope Francis and celebrities such as Denzel Washington, Andrea Bocelli, and Patricia Heaton for the first-ever Vitae Summit at the Vatican, which sought to “leverage the arts, media, and entertainment to trigger a cultural transformation that promotes the common good, universal values, and an encounter between people.”
Other speakers at the March for Life include Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who won the Dobbs Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade; Tony Dungy, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and author; Dr. Christina Francis, CEO-Elect of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan’s Purse; Sister Mary Casey of the Sisters of Life; and Gina Tomes, Program Director of the Bethlehem House maternity home.
Pro-Life Advocates Will Observe Sanctity of Life Sunday
Two days later, on January 22, the pro-life movement’s focus will shift from the nation’s capital to pulpits across the United States in observance of the Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.
Mercy Ministries Pregnancy Center in Reading, Pennsylvania is one of numerous Care Net affiliates that are distributing bulletin inserts to local churches. On its website, Mercy Ministries posted a reminder to not only observe National Sanctity of Human Life Day but exhorted friends to continue to be diligent in prayer.
“In preparation for this special day, we encourage you to set aside a few minutes of your service to celebrate Life and recognize the Creator who alone gives life. With the recent Supreme Court decision, we certainly have reason to be thankful.”
“However, as the recent election demonstrated, the push to make abortion even more mainstream is greater than ever... Pray for our nation! Only the intervention of God can change hearts and save lives.”
In a recent blog post entitled A Guide for Pastors on Making the Most of Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, Greg Austen, Care Net’s Director of Church Outreach and Engagement, wrote about the significance of the observance.
“Sanctity of Human Life Sunday offers a great opportunity for churches to begin the year championing the Imago Dei; that is, the theological truth that all human life—from conception to natural death—is special, sacred, and created in the image of God,” Austen said.
“Especially this year, on this side of Roe being overturned, it is more important than ever for local churches to lead with love on this issue. Although we may not know how the Supreme Court’s decision will play out in individual states, we do know that making abortion illegal doesn’t make it unthinkable, and life decisions will always need life support.”
