Youthful feet ‘March for Life’ of the unborn in D.C.

By Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond, Clarion Herald

You travel to Washington, D.C., every year for the March for Life. What kind of encouragement do you get from being in the presence of so many young people who are pro-life?

It’s so impressive to see our young adults – mostly students in their high school years – give witness to their Catholic faith by coming to the march in growing numbers year after year. Their commitment to Jesus inspires me in my own teaching ministry, and I know we are in good hands in promoting the sanctity of life. It was my generation that was so callous toward life. In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down the Roe v. Wade decision that essentially allowed abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, and we have been fighting the battle since then to overturn that tragic decision, which has resulted in the deaths of millions of innocent, unborn children. The young people I met last week are not afraid to talk about Jesus and his Gospel message, and they also treat each other with kindness. Their love for each other and for Jesus shines through in everything they say and do.

What were the days like?

We called this a pilgrimage – not just a trip – because a pilgrimage is a spiritual journey. We had the biggest group ever from the Archdiocese of New Orleans – more than 650 people from our schools and parishes. In fact, the entire group from Louisiana’s seven Catholic dioceses totaled more than 1,200 young people. In addition to coming together in fellowship on the long bus ride and learning more about pro-life issues, they prayed together. They attended the “Geaux Forth 2020 Louisiana Right to Life Rally,” which was a wonderful teaching seminar on the importance of the pro-life movement and on the various issues surrounding abortion – how people make a decision that affects not only the life of the child but also has a lasting impact on the mother and father. We also talked about other pro-life issues that are dear to the Catholic Church. While abortion is and always will be a fundamental, pro-life issue, we have to make sure we discuss other pro-life issues: for example, the death penalty, euthanasia, assisted suicide, racism, human trafficking, immigration, bullying and the list goes on.

You also were able to celebrate Mass as a group.

Yes, for the last several years, the New Orleans-area pilgrims – including some schools who have gone up to Washington, D.C., as part of their own school group – have gathered at Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria, Virginia, for Mass. It’s awe-inspiring to see that church filled with our youth. After the Mass, we went directly to the National Mall for the annual March for Life.

What was the march like this year?

We joined in with a half-million other people, which was very impressive to see. You have to experience it to understand the magnitude of the gathering. It’s very impressive to see the streets of Washington, D.C., filled with people – mostly youth and young adults – who came there to express their belief in the dignity of human life, that they were created in the image and likeness of God and that human life is sacred to God and, therefore, should also be very sacred to us.
 

Sometimes, we talk about the baby in womb as having no voice. The unborn child has a voice but it cannot be heard. We must become the voice of the unborn. We must become their feet through the march. We take on the plight of the child in the womb, and we pray and advocate with our lawmakers for the day all life will be fully respected. 

Are scientific discoveries nurturing a more pro-life generation?

I really believe so. Young people can see the unborn child in the womb, and they can see a beating heart and they can see its hands and feet and eyes. They understand that the pro-life argument is based in truth. It is not merely a religious issue, but a moral and a scientific issue as well. The beginning of human life is a scientific fact. Our young people are the pro-life generation. We have fewer abortions today than we have had in decades. I attribute that to our prayers being answered and to the fact that more young people have become pro-life. They get the message and are willing to share that message with others and enter into respectful conversations with those who disagree with their stance. They inspire me.

Questions for Archbishop Aymond may be sent to [email protected].