A Very Catholic March

Register Executive Editor Tom Hoopes is blogging live from today’s March for Life in Washington, D.C.

One can’t help but notice the prevalence of religion at the March.

Each religion seems to be here, and each showing itself in its quintessential form.

The rally began with a prayer by a Lutheran of the Missouri School Synod, and his prayer was matter-of-fact and thorough, like the Lutherans.

Later, an Orthodox Church in America primate summed up the pro-life message by raising the stakes in an Orthodox way. He said, “God deified humanity in Christ,” and “each has the right to come to know God.”

Later, a Jewish rabbi spoke, and sounded like the prophet Jeremiah.

The black Evangelical pastor, Luke Robinson, sounded like Martin Luther King.

But one can’t help but notice that apart from the speakers, almost everyone in the crowd seems to be Catholic. Images of Our Lady are everywhere. So are signs that say things like “Modern-Day Latin Mass Community, “Salina Diocese,” and “St. Joan of Arc Youth Ministry.”

One banner just shows Blessed Gianna. Another says, “Excommunicate Biden.”

Everywhere you go you hear Hail Marys, as different groups say the Rosary.

Catholics can be justly proud of what they have made out of the March of Life.

Our claims of being the apostolic, catholic Church of Jesus Christ look more credible when we see the masses of humanity we have attracted to this leading civil rights cause of our day.

— Tom Hoopes

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne attends a German Synodal Way assembly on March 9, 2023.

Four German Bishops Resist Push to Install Permanent ‘Synodal Council’

Given the Vatican’s repeated interventions against the German process, the bishops said they would instead look to the Synod of Bishops in Rome. Meanwhile, on Monday, German diocesan bishops approved the statutes for a synodal committee; and there are reports that the synodal committee will meet again in June.

Palestinian Christians celebrate Easter Sunday Mass at Holy Family Church in Gaza City on March 31, amid the ongoing battles Israel and the Hamas militant group.

People Explain ‘Why I Go to Mass’

‘Why go to Mass on Sundays? It is not enough to answer that it is a precept of the Church. … We Christians need to participate in Sunday Mass because only with the grace of Jesus, with his living presence in us and among us, can we put into practice his commandment, and thus be his credible witnesses.’ —Pope Francis