Monks of Norcia: "Many people were so glad that he came to show his support!"

The March for Life in Rome
by Br. John McKenzie, O.S.B.

This year’s March for Life here in Rome was a bit unique. There were a host of conferences during the  weekend beginning on May 3rd and ending with the March itself, on May 4th. The March began  around 9am at the Piazza della Reppublica and it ended at St. Peter’s Square just in time for the Sunday  Regina Caeli and blessing of Pope Francis.

I arrived after attending a Mass celebrated by a good priest friend. I was immediately greeted by many of our lay Italian friends, many of whom are young  married couples with children or are engaged to be married soon. It was great to see them and experience their enthusiasm with regards to right-to-life issues in Italy.  During the March I also was able to greet His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke.  Many people were so glad that he came to show his support!

Reflecting on the march, one word comes to mind: beauty. There is something quite beautiful about the right-to-life of every human being that one only needs to take a step back and contemplate for a few moments.

Monks of Norcia Summer newsletter

Cdl Burke joined Italy's March for Life, ended in greeting from Pope Francis

U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke and U.S. pro-life leaders joined tens of thousands of demonstrators in Italy's third annual March for Life May 12, which ended with a personal greeting from Pope Francis.

According to organizers, some 30,000 marched along the route from the Colosseum to Castel Sant'Angelo, a distance of nearly two miles. They followed a large wooden cross decorated with replicas of unborn children, and carried signs bearing messages such as "Let's not kill the future" and "Stop silent genocide."

Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno and Maurizio Gasparri, vice president of Italy's Senate, were among the participants.

Many of the marchers had reached the end of the route by 11:30 a.m., when Pope Francis acknowledged them before praying the "Regina Coeli" in St. Peter's Square, at the other end of Via della Conciliazione from Castel Sant'Angelo. The pope called on the marchers to "keep the attention of everyone on the important issue of respect for human life from the moment of conception."

continue at  CNS

photo