OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — May 14 will see the 29th annual Canadian National March for Life, where pro-lifers from across Canada will descend on Parliament Hill to demand full protection for the preborn.
Organized by Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), the March marks Canada’s 1969 Day of Infamy, when the Liberal government’s Omnibus Bill unleashed legal abortion on the nation.
“Currently, there is zero legal protection for the preborn, meaning abortion is permitted for any reason or no reason whatsoever, up till the moment of birth,” the group says. “Since the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide in 2016, the March has also sounded the alarm over the steadily increasing number of vulnerable citizens killed by medical professionals under the euphemism ‘MAiD’ or ‘medical assistance in dying.’”
This year’s theme is “Follow Me,” a reference to Jesus’s call in Matthew 4:19 to His disciples “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men,” symbolizing the need for pro-lifers to place their trust in Christ rather than worldly leaders.
“It is for Him that we persevere as a pro-life movement, for His children, the least of our brothers and sisters,” explained CLC’s Josie Luetke, adding that “as a pro-life movement, we’re not just working to save lives, but also to save souls; to not just win arguments, but to win people over for Christ with the same love and compassion that He had for all.”
“Marching for Life is being faithful to our calling as Christians and providing a voice for those who have no voice,” said Archbishop Marcel Damphousse, of the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall.
The itinerary will begin on May 12, with Songs for Life and a baby item drive for Birthright Ottawa. The next day will see Masses, prayer services, and a candlelight vigil.
The March itself will come on Thursday the 14th, starting with a rally on Parliament Hill before pro-lifers march through Ottawa. Then Silent No More will share firsthand testimonies about abortion regret. That evening, Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition and Ales Primc of the Movement for Children and Families will address the Rose Gala dinner.
An accompanying free Pro-Life Expo to connect with pro-life groups and activists will be running both days plus May 15, the day after the March. Also on May 15 will be the Pro-Life Youth Summit, which will be addressed by American pro-life activist Rebecca Kiessling, who will discuss her experience and perspectives shaped by having been conceived in rape; and Canadian Choice42 founder Laura Klassen.
“When Jesus said ‘Follow Me,’ the disciples dropped everything. They didn’t hesitate. They moved,” the National March for Life said. “Not all of us are called to do pro-life work full-time, but we are all called to sacrifice for the cause. Take up your cross! We cannot continue with ‘business as usual’ in the face of the human rights injustices of abortion, IVF, and euthanasia. Can we not drop our nets for a day to be part of the largest annual pro-life demonstrations in Canada?”
Full details on the March, including exact dates, times, and locations, can be found on the National March for Life website.
