Orthodox clerics and faithful from America shall unite again to participate in the Washington, DC 2021 March for Life, as they did in previous years. The pro-life organization Orthodox Christians for Life and Orthodox Christian Network, the agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America (ACOB-US), have already created the event on Facebook.
Orthodox hierarchs have lately been constantly invited to get involved in the most important moments of the annual March for Life held in Washington, DC.
In 2018, at the invitation of the organizers, Metropolitan Tikhon of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) was delegated by ACOB-US to offer the event’s opening prayer.
On January 20, a few days before this year’s march, the Orthodox Church in America marked the Sanctity of Life Sunday in all the parishes, through special petitions and prayers.
At this year’s march, Metropolitan Tikhon officiated a special religious service for the victims of abortion and held a short speech, saying:
“By our presence here, we show our government leaders that the Orthodox Church stands firmly with our forefathers throughout the ages on the side of life. As I said this morning after the Divine Liturgy, we proclaim life with the Defender of Life, our Lord Jesus Christ. We firmly proclaim life from the moment of conception to the end of life and urge our nation to proclaim the same truth. We show our nation that we can allow no excuse for abortion. At the same time, we proclaim the love and forgiveness that Christ offers to all of us, and we extend our open arms in love and mercy to those who have participated in the sin of abortion.”
The March for Life, a human rights movement
The first edition of the March for Life in Washington, DC was held in 1973, immediately after the legalization of abortion on demand throughout the US.
As the decision was given by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) on January 22, the event is organized annually around this date.
Supporters of life from all over America brace the cold to come to the nation’s Capital city and ask their legislators to protect the unborn children’s right to life starting from conception.
The 2021 theme of the March for Life in Washington, DC (48th edition) is “Together strong: Life unites”. The latest years have seen local marches organized in other American cities as well.
In time, the March for Life has become a global movement, from Argentina and Peru, where millions of participants take to the streets, to Japan. In Romania, the first March for Life was organized in the western city of Timișoara in 2008.
Starting from 2013, The March for Life Romania and the Republic of Moldova is simultaneously organized in hundreds of cities and towns around the date of March 25, which is the feast of the Annunciation.
The Romanian event is the apex of the Month for Life, which is marked between March 1 and 31 through cultural and pro-life awareness activities: film screenings, thematic workshops, debate sessions and a Run for Life event (in Bucharest) which fundraises for women in pregnancy crisis.
Since 2014, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church has given its blessing for the Orthodox Christian faithful’s participation in the Romanian event.
The message of the March for Life Romania and the Republic of Moldova is supported by all the media channels of the Romanian Orthodox Patriarchate.
Photo courtesy of OCA.org (article opening)
