Neither the Left Nor Bad Weather Can Stop the March for Life

Despite extreme snowy weather, a mass gathering of supporters took to the streets of Washington, D.C., to celebrate the March for Life last week, as some of the biggest names in the pro-life movement shared their stories, prayers, advice, and hopes for a brighter future.

One of the first assignments this reporter ever received was covering the March for Life back in 2015, as an intern with the Daily Caller. Over the years, I’ve become friends with pro-life advocates like Dr. Alveda King, Fr. Frank Pavone, and dozens of others who recognized a horrifying reality: Society has turned its back on the unborn.

This year’s March for Life, which Restoration News was privileged to cover, was different. There was a greater sense of optimism in the air. A stronger language was used at the podiums.

While speaking with my friend Fr. Pavone, he told me that “this is one of the most important marches ever. 2024 is the year when we need to get out the pro-life vote to make sure that the extreme, heartless agenda of the Democrats does not take hold on our country any more than it already has.”

The Opening Prayer Service

It was fitting that before the March, the award ceremony was held at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. With names of the original thirteen colonies written above the stage, there is an immediate feeling of freedom and faith as you walk through the doors. The audience also seemed younger than in years past, as several groups from schools and local organizations gathered to hear the honorees speak.

Pavone, who has been defrocked from the Catholic Priesthood by the “progressive” Pope Francis, gave the opening remarks. “Why is there such an effort to silence pro-life voices in our nation?” he asked. “The Gospel tells us why . . . the light came into the world, but some preferred darkness. Why? Because their deeds were evil.”

Pavone said those who promote abortion are so enveloped by evil, they can only exist in darkness and actually “love it,” because they “hate the light. To be Christian is to be persecuted, despite fears of causing controversy and division. He added:

Anybody perplexed about what’s going on in the world? In the nation? How about in the church? We are perplexed, but not in despair. We are we are persecuted but not abandoned.

The National Director of Priests for Life also touched upon abortion ballot initiatives that have sprouted up across the country, in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. He explained that other states have countered with laws to protect the unborn and that successful abortion initiatives were based on lies and deception.

He described recent constitutional amendments as “a sign of their weakness, because they are running away from the legislative process. . . [and] they want people to vote based on a sound bite.”

(FIRST RIGHT WITH NICK GIVAS: Frank Pavone Reveals Future of Pro-Life Movement After Roe v. Wade Victory)

Mark Houck on Weaponization of Government Against Pro-Lifers

Mark Houck became famous for fighting back against Biden’s Justice Department, after he was targeted and raided by federal authorities for his pro-life beliefs.

Houck, a Catholic father of seven, recently announced a bid for Congress for Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District after charges were brought against him related to a 2021 altercation with a 72-year-old facility escort, who allegedly approached Houck and his son while they were peacefully praying outside a Planned Parenthood abortion site.

According to Houck’s attorney, the escort made “crude references, sexual and otherwise,” to Houck’s 12-year-old son. An altercation followed in which Houck was accused of shoving the escort. A jury later found him not guilty on all charges and cleared him of violating the Justice Department’s Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. He told the March for Life crowd that the Lord has called him to public service and he plans to sue the FBI for its actions, to restore accountability.

“Don’t be afraid of persecution, it’s a gift,” he told the audience. “Dictatorships and tyranny are coming when little children are awoken in the middle of the night and their father is arrested at gunpoint in a pre-dawn raid. That’s where we live, that’s the nation we live in right now. And be not afraid friends.”

Houck described how he was “never closer to Christ” than during the altercation at the abortion clinic. He said being arrested and shackled was like being thrown “at the foot of the cross” and led him to embrace humility.

After discovering he was facing over a decade in prison—and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines—he was offered a “sweetheart deal.” The government told him to simply “plead guilty to something you didn’t do” and it would all go away. When he shared the offer with his wife, she encouraged him to reject the deal, recognizing the fight was bigger than her family.

She also said if he were to take the deal, he shouldn’t “bother coming home.”  

Following his exoneration and lawsuit, the congressional candidate vowed to sue the federal government again in April 2024 for punitive damages, to make certain “they don’t do this to others. Because if they did it to me,” he added, “they could do it to you.”

Bishop Joseph Strickland on Humility and Church Leadership

Like the other speakers, Bishop Strickland is no stranger to controversy. Pope Francis removed him as the leader of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, last year after he became known as a conservative critic of Vatican policy.

Despite recognizing Francis’ authority as Pope, Strickland wrote on social media that the Pontiff was running a “program of undermining the Deposit of Faith” and said to “follow Jesus.”

When he spoke at the prayer service, he hesitated to accept any award, but said he supported the ceremony because of its focus on the unborn. “More than once, I’ve been told by misguided leaders of the church, ‘quit speaking. Quit talking about the Deposit of Faith,’” he said. “I cannot, I will not quit speaking the truth of Jesus Christ.”

He encouraged the crowd to acknowledge “evil [is] at work killing unborn children,” and such actions only embolden Satan.

Despite the effort to “cancel” him, Strickland claimed it is impossible to destroy the words and love of Christ, before asking the audience to pray for him and all faith leaders around the world. “I ask you pray for me . . . pray for your priests and pray for your bishops, because we have a grave responsibility that I’m only trying to live up to.”

Dr. Alveda King’s Message of Prayer and Hope

Dr. Alveda King, the niece of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, has been my friend for many years. I met her while we spoke at Yale University together in my college days. She speaks from the heart, with conviction, and has also survived the trauma of two abortions, a miscarriage, and a divorce. Yet she remains a true prayer warrior, worthy of recognition.

Her speech ended up being the simplest and shortest part of the service, as she gave the glory to God saying, “we’re supposed to be the light of the world.”

King warned if people do what is right, society will hate them, but “God is going to bless” them. The government may come after the righteous, but God will “defend you,” she added, as faith, hope, and love prevail over fear.

Open Our Hearts to the Wounded

There are few things worse than taking the life of a child before it’s even had the chance to breathe. Especially during the later stages of pregnancy. Some see this statement as harsh and judgmental. Others believe the lies fed to them through society and social media. But on the most basic level, life—in all its forms–must be cherished, respected, and protected. Yet we must also realize that Christianity is rooted in forgiveness.

Those who’ve had abortions, are not the enemy. Those who support abortion are not necessarily the enemy. We must open our hearts to them, to begin dialoguing and praying together. For even the most fervent supporters of abortion usually recognize on a primal level, that they are interrupting the natural process of life, in favor of fulfilling their own desires.

It may not be easy. It may not be fair. It may seem impossible. But for the millions of children yet to come who are conceived and then unwanted, we must make every effort to offer assistance and love to those parents who feel lost. This way, they can choose life, find redemption, and reject the lie that these God-given gifts have no value.