Thousands rally for life in Washington

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Americans “as a people are pro-life” because life and liberty “are intertwined and form the core of our national character,” House Speaker John Boehner told the crowd gathered on the National Mall Jan. 23 for the 39th annual March for Life.

“God who gave us life, gave us liberty,” said the Ohio Republican, who is a Catholic. He added that his pro-life stand is not political, “it’s just who I am.”
He and the other members of Congress who spoke at the rally said they were proud they had passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and the Protect Life Act and voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and defund Planned Parenthood.

But now, said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., a Catholic who is chairman of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, told the rallygoers that they were “an important part of the greatest human rights movement on earth -- the selfless struggle by prayer, fasting and works to defend and protect all weak and vulnerable persons from the violence of abortion, infanticide and euthanasia.”

More than an hour before the rally kicked off, thousands of pro-life marchers—including a delegation of 30 from the Diocese of Corpus Christi, the majority of them high school and college-age youths from across the country, began to fill in the space around the speakers’ platform under overcast skies.

The temperature hovered in the high 30s. Intermittent rain forced marchers to put on ponchos and assorted rain gear and pull out their umbrellas. The wet weather left the National Mall a soggy and muddy patch, which marchers slogged through after the rally as they headed to Constitution Avenue, past the Capitol and up to the Supreme Court.

“I half expected a lot of people to leave with the weather so bad. It was great to see all of them staying, which shows we are not going away until we change the culture of death,” Celina Garcia, a science teacher of Bishop Garriga Preparatory School in Corpus Christi said.

“It was amazing to see so many people; knowing they were all there to speak for the unborn inspired me,” Garcia said. “I can’t wait to return home and get more involved in this important issue.”

Garcia said she will share her experiences with her sixth and eighth grade students, many who plan to attend the Texas Rally for Life on Jan. 28.

The rally opened with the national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a joint Catholic-Orthodox prayer delivered by Metropolitan Jonah of All America and Canada and Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Nellie Gray, now 86, kicked off the speeches. She is the founder and president of the March for Life Education & Defense Fund, the group that organizes the march.
She told the crowd that their consistency in showing up in such great numbers to mark each of the 39 anniversaries since the Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion “shows we love our country and love our preborn children. We also love the abortionists we’re trying to educate.”

She called for Roe to be overturned “without any exception” and urged unity “on the life principles” she and her organization have espoused since the Supreme Court handed down its abortion decision.

(Alfredo E. Cardenas contributed to this article.)