March For Life 2022

March for Life 2022

At the start of September groups from Nottingham, Scunthorpe and Lincoln headed down to London for this year’s March for Life. Joining over 7000 people- many of them young people- they marched through the streets of the Capital in peaceful opposition to the 1967 Abortion Act. Whilst the March was a vibrant and joyful testimony to the gift of life from conception, it also sought to highlight the tragedy and injustice of legalised abortion. This Autumn sees the number of legal abortions committed since 1967 reach the ten million mark. And those marching had one message: that is simply ten million too many.

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As the March culminated in a vigil in Parliament Square, those gathered heard from various guests who spoke about abortion pill reversal, coerced abortion and the impact of the overturning of the US Supreme Court Decision of Roe v Wade. Shawn Carney, Founder and Director of 40 Days for Life, powerfully reminded the crowds that science, reason, truth and love is on the side of the prolife movement and it’s these things that will overcome the fear and despair that fuels the pro-abortion movement. As the event drew to a close, Bishop Patrick took to the stage to give words of encouragement to those gathered. He thanked people for the many ways in which they defend the gift of life in their daily lives as well as at the March. And he gave a message of hope and healing for all those affected by the hurt of abortion. You can read his full address at the end of this article.  

The date of next year’s March for life is set for Saturday 2nd September 2023 and there are hopes that even more people from across the Diocese will be able to join this important event. In the meantime, there are plenty of opportunities a lot closer to home for people to get involved in practical pro-life outreach. This month, Dr John Edwards began work as our Diocesan Pro-Life Coordinator and he is looking forward to hearing from people wanting to get involved in the pro-life movement. There’s 40 Days for Life campaigns and the St Colette’s Pregnancy Centre, amongst other things. The Pro-Life Office is also looking for people who are interested in supporting women, or indeed men, who have been hurt by abortion.

John would be particularly interested in talking to those with professional qualifications in counselling, with the view to setting up a post-abortion support group in the Diocese. We will be sharing more about the work of the diocesan pro-life office in the coming months but if you would like to get involved, then you can get in contact with John at pro-life@dioceseofnottingham.uk

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Bishop Patrick’s Words of Encouragement at the End of ‘March for Life’ 2022

WE are people who share the belief that a society will be judged on how it treats its weakest and most vulnerable members; and that among the most vulnerable are those in the womb. That’s what unites us, whether we’re Christian or not. For all of us, abortion is the taking of human life. So, one life taken away through abortion is one life too many. But the 10 million abortions that have taken place in the UK since the 1967 Abortion Act, these can only be viewed as a horrendous tragedy for humanity, and an absolute stain on our society.

As people who are pro-life, we want instead to proclaim and bear witness to a culture of LIFE that respects and cares for the inherent dignity of every human person, regardless of race, creed, sex, special need, age or nationality. For us, every life is precious from the moment of conception until natural death. And the most vulnerable have a special claim on our care and concern, and can there be any one more vulnerable than the baby in the womb?

Our society knows that we are against abortion, but perhaps it isn’t always so aware of what we stand for in terms of care for vulnerable women; those who find themselves facing an unwanted pregnancy, and who feel they’ve no other option than to seek to abort their unborn baby. And mindful of the cost-of-living crisis, and the ever-increasing financial struggles facing so many people, we must do more to step up and assure women, who may feel under increasing pressure to seek an abortion, that that they’re not on their own, that there’s hope, there’s real support through our wonderful pro-life organisations; they can make choices that affirm life and don’t take it away. Taking the life of another can never be a solution to the difficulties women face with an unwanted pregnancy. We must strive to offer concrete support and solutions for women, and work to build a culture where life is affirmed and cherished by all.  

And to those who have had abortions, or who have been involved in them, women and men, and who are hurting as a result, let’s make crystal clear to them that we love and respect them; we’ll do what we can to walk alongside them. That they don’t need to suffer on their own; there’s hope and healing; and fantastic organisations like ‘Rachel’s Vineyard’ are waiting to journey with them.

Thank you for choosing to defend the sanctity of all human life, from conception to natural death, not just here today, but especially in your daily life. It’s not always easy to do so, it’s counter cultural, and it often makes costly demands of us. But let’s keep encouraging each other. Let history show that we stood up in defence of life and of the most vulnerable, and especially our brothers and sisters in the womb. THANK YOU!

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