Defending the right to life is more important than ever.
Move over, politicians. The president, the vice president, the speaker of the House. Fine, whatever, talk. That’s what is done at rallies. But today is the first March for Life with a pope in Rome who has participated in a march for life (in Peru) and was part of his college’s pro-life club (when he was an undergraduate at Villanova). And the Illinois-born Pope Leo has sent a message to the March for Life, another first:
I send warm greetings to those of you participating in the 2026 March for Life. I likewise express heartfelt appreciation, and assure you of my spiritual closeness as you gather for this eloquent public witness to affirm that “the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right” (Address to Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, 9 January 2026).
Indeed, “a society is healthy and truly progresses only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and works actively to promote it” (ibid.). In this regard, I would encourage you, especially the young people, to continue striving to ensure that life is respected in all of its stages through appropriate efforts at every level of society, including dialogue with civil and political leaders.
May Jesus, who promised to be with us always (cf. Mt 28:20), accompany you today as you courageously and peacefully march on behalf of unborn children. By advocating for them, please know that you are fulfilling the Lord’s command to serve him in the least of our brothers and sisters (cf. Mt 25:31-46).
With these sentiments I entrust all of you, as well as those who support you with their prayers and sacrifices, to the intercession of Mary Immaculate, Patroness of the United States of America, and I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of abundant heavenly graces.
The March for Life is a commitment to begin again to defend life and make our culture more hospitable to life. It is fitting that the pope would send a message. It is encouraging that he has.
As Leo mentioned, earlier this month he talked with the Vatican diplomatic corps about some of the hostilities to human life that go beyond abortion, a routine forgetfulness about how precious human life is.
On January 9, Leo said:
The vocation to love and to life, which manifests itself in an important way in the exclusive and indissoluble union between a woman and a man, implies a fundamental ethical imperative for enabling families to welcome and fully care for unborn life. This is increasingly a priority, especially in those countries that are experiencing a dramatic decline in birth rates. Life, in fact, is a priceless gift that develops within a committed relationship based on mutual self-giving and service.
In light of this profound vision of life as a gift to be cherished, and of the family as its responsible guardian, we categorically reject any practice that denies or exploits the origin of life and its development. Among these is abortion, which cuts short a growing life and refuses to welcome the gift of life. In this regard, the Holy See expresses deep concern about projects aimed at financing cross-border mobility for the purpose of accessing the so-called “right to safe abortion.” It also considers it deplorable that public resources are allocated to suppress life, rather than being invested to support mothers and families. The primary objective must remain the protection of every unborn child and the effective and concrete support of every woman so that she is able to welcome life.
Likewise, there is the practice of surrogacy. By transforming gestation into a negotiable service, this violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a “product,” and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family.
Similar considerations can be extended to the sick and to those who are elderly or isolated, who at times struggle to find a reason to continue living. Civil society and States also have a responsibility to respond concretely to situations of vulnerability, offering solutions to human suffering, such as palliative care, and promoting policies of authentic solidarity, rather than encouraging deceptive forms of compassion such as euthanasia.
A comparable reflection can be made concerning the many young people who are forced to confront numerous hardships, including drug addiction. In order to prevent millions of young people around the world from falling victim to substance abuse, concerted efforts are required to eradicate this scourge upon humanity and the drug trafficking that fuels it. Together with these efforts, there must be adequate policies for recovery from addiction, as well as greater investment in human development, education and the creation of employment opportunities.
In light of these challenges, we firmly reiterate that the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right. A society is healthy and truly progresses only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and works actively to promote it.
Yesterday, some pro-life advocates spent time at the White House and Department of Health and Human Services. Politics is a necessary evil, and lobbying is always a part of activism. I pray some of the conversations make some difference — especially on the question of reinstituting some safeguards on abortion pills. But abortion has to end in America, and it’s not going to end with photo ops or even demonstrations in Washington. The March for Life is critical because it is a window into how committed some of the country is to life, to welcoming new life, and to letting people know they are not alone.
If you are at the March for Life today or support those who are, consider it a challenge. The struggle didn’t end with Dobbs. These are the things we are going to have to answer for. So what more can we do? As the pope’s sending a message to the marchers makes plain, defending the right to life is more important than ever. Abortion is practically more hidden, and pro-lifers need to be light in the darkness.