Pro-life leaders are ‘laser focused’ on state marches this election year: here’s what you need to know

Peter Pinedo   By Peter Pinedo for CNA

January 31, 2024 Catholic News Agency News Briefs 0 Print

 

Members of the Houston-based Catholic Youth for Life carry their flag, alongside the state flag, at the 2024 Texas March for Life. / Credit: Catholic Youth for Life

CNA Newsroom, Jan 31, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

With regulation of abortion expected to be on the ballot this year in various states, pro-life groups across the country are gearing up for major marches, expected to bring thousands to their respective state capitals to stand up for life.

March for Life President Jeanne Mancini told CNA that her group, which organizes the annual national March for Life, is “laser focused” on the “growth of the state march initiative this year.”

While the National March for Life in Washington D.C. made headlines for drawing an estimated 100,000 pro-lifers to the nation’s capital on Jan. 19, the group’s emphasis on state marches highlights the renewed importance of pro-life battles in individual states since the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

“Each call to action is unique depending on the state, but our goal in each state is to help unite and mobilize pro-life residents,” Mancini explained. “The state March program remains critical to help raise awareness of abortion extremism in states around the nation post-Dobbs — especially in states like Ohio, California, and other places where state ballot initiatives and legislation have removed all common-sense protections for women and the unborn.”

Although the pro-life movement has suffered some setbacks since Roe’s overturn in states such as Ohio, Michigan, and Kansas, Mancini said her group is resolved to continue their work to “educate on the issues.”

“Our joyful presence in the states helps further our goal of changing hearts and minds on this critical issue, while reminding state lawmakers that their constituents deserve better than the painful lies of the abortion industry.”

“Our particular mission is to unite, equip, and mobilize pro-life Americans,” she explained. “We plan to be very focused on growing this initiative and in doing so, to continue to build pro-life momentum, and further our work to build a culture of life.”

Here are the states where March for Life and other pro-life groups are planning major demonstrations this election cycle.

Virginia – February 21

The Virginia March for Life, sponsored by March for Life and The Family Foundation, is planned for Feb. 21 in Richmond. The event will begin with a rally at 11 a.m. followed by the march at noon.

Georgia – February 22

Set for Feb. 22 in Atlanta, the Georgia March for Life will be hosted by March for Life and Georgia Life Alliance. Events will begin with a rally at 10 a.m. in Liberty Plaza. The march will begin at 11 a.m.

Arizona – March 1

Set for Mar. 1, the Arizona March for Life will take place at noon in downtown Phoenix. The march will also include a rally at 11 a.m. in Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza.

Arizona for Abortion Access Political Action Committee has filed language with the Secretary of State that could result in a vote on abortion in 2024. More than 38,000 signatures must be gathered by July 3, 2024, for the proposal to reach the ballot.

Maryland – March 11

A state in which abortion is legal through all nine months of pregnancy and in which a constitutional right to abortion has been proposed, a Maryland pro-life march will take place on Mar. 11 in Annapolis.

The event is organized by Maryland March for Life, click here for more information.

The “Maryland Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment” would cement an abortion “right” in the state’s constitution and make it impossible for pro-life laws to be enacted. The amendment was added to the ballot by the state legislature, based on a supermajority vote in both chambers (60%). The vote will take place on Nov. 5, 2024.

Connecticut – March 20

Sponsored by the March for Life and the Connecticut Catholic Conference, the Colorado March for Life is scheduled for Mar. 20 in Hartford. There will first be a rally at the state capitol at noon and then a march around Bushnell Park beginning at 1 p.m.

Colorado – April 12

The Colorado March for Life is set to take place Apr. 12 in Denver. Currently, abortion is legal through all nine months of pregnancy in Colorado. Advocates on both sides of the abortion debate are circulating dueling ballot proposals for 2024. For either amendment to reach the ballot, proponents need to gather more than 124,000 signatures by Aug. 5, 2024.

Illinois – April 17

In Illinois, where abortion is currently legal through all nine months of pregnancy, the state pro-life march will be co-sponsored by Illinois Right to Life and March for Life.

“Crusaders for Life,” an Illinois pro-life group consisting of several Catholic Chicago parishes, has become known for their flash mob-style pro-life chants and dancing at the national March for Life.

The group has also participated in the state march as well. The Illinois event will take place on Apr. 17 in Springfield, beginning with a rally at the state capitol at noon which will be followed by the march at 1 p.m.

California – April 22

The fourth annual California March for Life, sponsored by March for Life and the California Family Council, will take place on Apr. 22 in Sacramento.

Previous marches have seen the participation of high-profile pro-lifers such as Live Action founder Lila Rose who in 2023 urged demonstrators to “take back this state!”

Oregon – May 18

Set for May 18 and hosted by March for Life and Oregon Right to Life, the Oregon march will take place at the state capitol in Salem at 2:30 p.m.

New York – June 24

In New York, where a proposed constitutional amendment could enshrine a “right” to abortion, a state pro-life group called “March for Life NY” is planning a march at noon on Jun. 24 at the state capitol building in Albany.

Click here for more information on the march.

The amendment was added to the ballot by the state legislature after being passed by a majority vote in both chambers in two consecutive legislative sessions, as required by law.

The proposed ballot language also erases gender-specific language such as “him” or “her” from the state constitution and establishes a so-called “right” to invasive sex-change surgeries.

Election Day is Nov. 5, 2024.

Pennsylvania – September 23

Planned for Sep. 23 in Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania March for Life is being organized by March for Life and the Pennsylvania Family Institute with the participation of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and several other pro-life groups.

The schedule for the event indicates that it will kick off with an opening Mass for Life at 9:30 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. There will also be a prayer and praise pre-rally at 10 a.m. followed by a rally at 11 a.m. and then the march at noon.

Pennsylvania is another state which is in danger of getting a pro-abortion constitutional amendment.

In 2021, Pennsylvania lawmakers approved language for a state constitutional amendment that could result in a vote on abortion in 2024. The legislature must vote a second time to approve the language by the end of the 2024 legislative session before putting the question to voters in this November’s general election.

New Jersey – September 26

Hosted by New Jersey Right to Life and March for Life, with the participation of the Archdiocese of Newark Respect Life Office, the New Jersey March for Life will take place on September 26 in Trenton.

A rally will kick off the day at 11 a.m. followed by a march at noon.

Ohio – October 4

In the Buckeye State, where voters last November passed a constitutional amendment adding a right to abortion, the Ohio March for Life is set to take place on Oct. 4 in Columbus.

Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus told CNA that regardless of any legislative defeats or victories, “we have to continue our efforts to build the culture of life and the civilization of love.”

If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!

Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.

About Catholic News Agency 10374 Articles
Catholic News Agency (www.catholicnewsagency.com)

Related Articles

No Picture
News Briefs

Pope Francis: The Trinity inspires us ‘to live with others and for others’

June 12, 2022 Catholic News Agency 1
Pope Francis speaks to the crowd on June 12, 2022 gathered in St. Peter’s Square in Rome for the recitation of the Angelus on Trinity Sunday. / Vatican Media

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 12, 2022 / 07:47 am (CNA).

Speaking on Trinity Sunday, Pope Francis said that celebrating the Trinity is “not so much a theological exercise, but a revolution in our way of life.”

“God, in whom each person lives for the other in a continual relationship, in continual rapport, not for himself, provokes us to live with others and for others,” he said.

In his address prior to the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Francis reflected on Sunday’s Gospel reading, from the 16th chapter of John. In the reading, Jesus is speaking to the apostles about the coming of the Holy Spirit. “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth,” the Lord says.

Jesus tells the apostles, “Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.”

“We notice that the Holy Spirit speaks, but not of himself: He announces Jesus and reveals the Father,” Pope Francis said to thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square June 12.

“And we also notice that the Father, who possesses everything because he is the origin of all things, gives to the Son everything he possesses: He keeps nothing for himself and he gives himself fully to the Son,” he said.

Pope Francis added that “the Holy Spirit speaks not of himself; he speaks about Jesus, he speaks about others. And the Father does not give himself, he gives the Son. It is open generosity, one open to the other.”

The Holy Father then invited the crowd to do a self-examination.

“When we speak, we always want to say something good about ourselves, and often, we only speak about ourselves and what we do,” he said. “How often!”

Giving examples, Pope Francis said that people often say “I have done this and that” and “I had this problem.”

“We always speak like this,” he said.

He added, “How different this is from the Holy Spirit, who speaks by announcing others, and the Father the Son! And, how jealous we are of what we possess. How hard it is for us to share what we possess with others, even those who lack the basic necessities! It is easy to talk about it, but difficult to practice it.”

He encouraged the crowd to question whether “our life reflects the God we believe in.”

Leading the crowd in self-examination, the pope asked, “do I, who profess faith in God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, truly believe that I need others in order to live, I need to give myself to others, I need to serve others? Do I affirm this in words, or do I affirm it with my life?”

The one, triune God must be manifested in deeds, not words, he said.

“God, who is the author of life, is transmitted not so much through books as through witness of life,” Pope Francis said. “He, who, as the evangelist John writes, ‘is love’ (1 Jn 4:16), reveals himself through love.”

Pope Francis encouraged the crowd to think about “good, generous, gentle” people they have met and reflect on their way of thinking and their actions.

By doing this, “we can have a small reflection of God-Love,” he said. “And what does it mean to love? Not only to wish them well and to be good to them, but first and foremost, at the root, to welcome others, to be open to others, to make room for others, to make space (for) others. This is what it means to love, at the root.”

To better understand the Trinity, the Holy Father encouraged the crowd to consider each name of the three persons of the Trinity, “which we pronounce every time we make the sign of the cross: Each name contains the presence of the other.”

“The Father, for example, would not be such without the Son; likewise, the Son cannot be considered alone, but always as the Son of the Father. And the Holy Spirit, in turn, is the Spirit of the Father and the Son,” he said.

“In short,” Pope Francis added, “the Trinity teaches us that one can never be without the other. We are not islands, we are in the world to live in God’s image: open, in need of others, and in need of helping others.”

After praying the Angelus at noon, Pope Francis called for a round of applause for the recent beatification of Sister Paschalis Jahn and nine sister martyrs of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth, who were killed at the end of World War II by Red Army soldiers.

The nuns were beatified Saturday in Wroclaw, Poland.

Although the women knew the danger they were putting themselves in by attending to the sick and elderly, Pope Francis said, they did it anyway because of their Christian faith.

“May their example of faith to Christ help us all, especially Christians who are persecuted in various parts of the world, to bear witness to the Gospel courageously,” he said of the new blessed.

Pope Francis also spoke about the “great regret” he felt for having to postpone his scheduled trip in early July to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan due to issues he is having with his leg.

“I truly feel great sorrow for having had to postpone this trip, which means so much to me,” he said. “I apologize for this. Let us pray together that, with the help of God and medical attention, I will be able to be with you as soon as possible. Let us be hopeful!”

Speaking of World Day against Child Labor, Pope Francis called for all to work to “eliminate this scourge “so that no child is deprived of his or her fundamental rights and forced or coerced to work.”

The Holy Father also said that the Ukrainian people remain “vivid in my heart,” speaking of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

“Let the passage of time not temper our grief and concern for that suffering population,” he said. “Please, let us not grow accustomed to this tragic situation! Let us always keep it in our hearts. Let us pray and strive for peace.”

[…]

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

All comments posted at Catholic World Report are moderated. While vigorous debate is welcome and encouraged, please note that in the interest of maintaining a civilized and helpful level of discussion, comments containing obscene language or personal attacks—or those that are deemed by the editors to be needlessly combative or inflammatory—will not be published. Thank you.


*