On Sunday at 12:30 p.m., the National March for Life will commence at Castle Square (Plac Zamkowy) in Warsaw. This year’s march takes place within a powerful context—on one hand, the millennium of the Polish kingdom, and on the other, the scandalous and highly publicized case from Oleśnica, where a 36-week-old unborn child was deprived of life.
“Many people are unable to accept that a child who could live, who could be saved, (…) can be killed by a single act of a doctor,”
said Bogusław Kiernicki, president of the St. Benedict Foundation, one of the march’s organizers, in an interview with TV Republika.
The National March for Life will be preceded by Holy Masses celebrated intending to protect life, held at the Archcathedral Basilica of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian the Martyr.
Participants of the march will set off at 12:30 p.m. from Castle Square, proceeding along the Royal Route toward Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły Park.
“This year, we are particularly drawing connections to the millennium of the coronation of Bolesław the Brave. We want to refer to the glorious moments of Polish history, but also clearly and decisively communicate to politicians that we will defend human life from conception until natural death,”
stated Lidia Sankowska-Grabczuk.
She emphasized that “without preserving national identity, without recalling patriotic and familial values, and without stressing the need to protect life from conception to natural death, we as a nation have no right to exist.”
“The Right to Life as a Fundamental Right”
Sankowska-Grabczuk reminded listeners that the right to life is one of the fundamental human rights. Unfortunately, she noted, “it is increasingly being questioned in our country.” As an example, she pointed to an abortion clinic located near the Sejm (the Polish parliament), established by activists from the Abortion Dream Team, where—as she claimed—assistance in procuring abortion is provided, which from the standpoint of criminal law is illegal in Poland. The “Abotak” clinic has been operating since March 8.
She also highlighted that one of the co-organizers of the march is the Polish Association of Defenders of Human Life, which provides substantial support to parents of children with disabilities, including those still in the perinatal phase, allocating significant financial resources toward this cause.
“We also want to advocate for parents’ rights to raise their children according to their own beliefs,”
she added.
The march is organized by the St. Benedict Foundation, the Coalition for Life and Family, and over 30 smaller organizations. It is held under the honorary patronage of the Polish Episcopal Conference.
Oleśnica: A Turning Point for Society?
“In addition to local marches, which are important and meaningful, we also want to present a major march in Warsaw—large, unambiguous, setting an agenda, offering an opportunity to make a statement that will be heard. Last year, there were 50,000 of us, and this coincided with a heated debate in the Sejm, which gave the event considerable significance. The goal is to show up, be counted, and present our agenda—to demonstrate that people are capable of manifesting their views openly,”
said Bogusław Kiernicki in an interview with TV Republika.
He emphasized that, currently, due to the scandal in Oleśnica, the march organizers are receiving messages even from individuals who, as Kiernicki pointed out, hold ambivalent views on the issue but were nevertheless deeply shocked by the incident.
“For several months, specialists have been observing a reversal of trends regarding young people’s attitudes toward abortion. (…) We hope that these static indicators are a positive omen,”
he added.
Kiernicki stressed that the Oleśnica case might prove to be a “turning point.”
“Many people are unable to accept that a child who could live, who could be saved, (…) can be killed by a single act of a doctor,”
he said.