A Spiritual Journey: Faith and the March for Life

WASHINGTON—Over 5,000 Catholic Americans convened at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception last week for an annual vigil Mass prior to the National March for Life in the capital.

The congregation, consisting of families, students, and various pilgrimage groups of all ages, filled two levels, numerous chapels, and a crypt, engaging in prayer, receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and concluding with a holy hour and rosary alongside Eucharistic adoration.

The profound atmosphere of prayer, incense, vestments, and music permeated the 20th-century church, which rivals any European cathedral in its grandeur. It symbolized the sanctuary and direction that faith provides to America’s pro-life movement in its quest to reshape the national culture regarding abortion.

“As Pope Saint John Paul II expressed so profoundly, culture surpasses politics; elections serve as reflections of a culture’s values,” Archbishop Joseph Naumann from Kansas City articulated during the vigil mass.

A former chair of the U.S. bishops’ committee on pro-life activities, Naumann substituted for Bishop Daniel Thomas, the current chair, at the last moment.

He expanded on Thomas’s themes, dedicating considerable time to discussing the dynamic between Christians and politics.

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“Elections are significant and carry weighty consequences,” he remarked, reflecting on recent political developments impacting the pro-life cause.

Naumann pointed out that despite the historic overturning of Roe v. Wade—an event that inspired the March for Life—voters in some states, including his own, continued to find ways to uphold abortion access at the state level.

The subsequent day, those thousands of Catholics joined tens of thousands of others—Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Jewish—in a solemn civic procession from the National Mall, passing by the Capitol and concluding at the Supreme Court to urge the government to acknowledge and protect pre-born human life.

Demonstrators displayed signs with secular messages such as “Defund Planned Parenthood” and “Don’t Tread On Me,” along with scripture references; images of Jesus and his mother, Mary; and banners from Christian educational institutions across the country.

Morning prayer services before the march included the 30th Annual National Prayer Service held at the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Constitution Hall by Priests for Life.

This non-denominational service, led by Priests for Life Director Frank Pavone, highlighted several political victories achieved since the Supreme Court’s decision to overrule Roe v. Wade in 2022.

During the prayer service, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen received commendations for their efforts in advancing pro-life initiatives within their states. Prayers were offered for each of the 50 U.S. states.

Pavone emphasized the importance of safeguarding specific liberties that serve as instruments for the pro-life mission.

“We need to have the right protected to assemble out on the streets today, allowing this march to occur in the first place,” he asserted. “The freedom of assembly, the freedom of speech, and the freedom to express our grievances toward the government without fear of censorship, cancellation, or prosecution are essential.”

“We require these liberties, and those who afford them and defend them do not need to advocate solely for abortion.”

Later that same day, Naumann addressed attendees at the pre-march rally on the National Mall, sharing the stage with secular figures like DeSantis, who approved pro-life laws and successfully opposed a pro-abortion state amendment in November 2024, as well as Vice President JD Vance. Trump also delivered a message via video.

‘Pilgrims of Hope’

During the vigil Mass on January 23, the archbishop conveyed to his congregation that, amid the fleeting thrill of political triumphs, Christians’ true hope rests not in political figures, athletes, or cultural icons, but in their faith.

“The friendship and communion with Jesus have endowed his disciples with hope for over 2,000 years, especially during trials, illnesses, losses of loved ones, persecutions, and imprisonments,” he stated.

“As we march tomorrow, we march as pilgrims of hope.”

He noted that the setbacks faced by the movement are largely due to younger generations growing up in an environment where abortion has not only been legal but societal challenges have also perpetuated a “culture of death.”

“They’ve come of age in a society saturated with infidelity in love,” he remarked. “They’ve been exposed to a culture where we, as my generation, have not shielded them from the pornography industry that preys on children and young people, ensnaring them in a false notion of love.”

The archbishop urged young attendees at the Mass to become advocates among their peers. To effect cultural transformation, he emphasized they must provide support and community to women facing challenging pregnancies.

Pavone shared this sentiment, further stating that every young person today, born after Roe v. Wade, is a survivor of abortion. Even if their parents never contemplated abortion, they were conceived, carried, and birthed in a society that did not guarantee their protection.

“When you stand for the unborn, you’re also standing for yourselves,” he stated in a subsequent interview with The Epoch Times. “If you weren’t protected in the womb, you’re advocating for your own behalf.”

This realization of their survival should inspire people to raise their voices.

Intrinsically Human

But does the call to advocate for the unborn—and the March for Life itself—have an inherently religious nature?

Father John Jaddou, Parochial Vicar at St. George Chaldean Catholic Church near Detroit, Michigan, disagrees.

“This is a movement rooted in humanity,” he stated in an interview prior to the march. ”It’s centered on truth.”

He noted a decline in how truth is perceived within our culture, leading to contentious debates around questions like “What constitutes life?” and “When does life begin?” stemming from the assertion that “murder should be criminalized.”

“We must return to the truth,” he urged. “It’s not purely a matter of religion; it hinges on truth.”

Although being Christian isn’t a necessary condition for being pro-life, many participants attribute their perseverance in the movement to their faith.

“We march because we’ve already attained victory,” Pavone stated during his morning prayer service. “We march to honor it, to declare it, to promote it, and to apply it throughout our society.”

“We march as disciples of the one who has triumphed over sin, vanquished death, risen from the grave, and is with us, speaking through us, inspiring us, and facilitating the success of our endeavors in this vital movement for life.”