"Human beings are themselves considered consumer goods to be used and then discarded," a top US cardinal said ahead of a national pro-life rally held yesterday.
At least 200,000 people, many of them teenagers and students, participated in the annual March For Life through Washington, DC to protest abortion, though some reports put the number at half a million.
Carrying placards and chanting pro-life slogans, those gathered were met by pro-choice demonstrators who labelled the marchers "the brainwashed generation". Several of them, with red paint between their legs, were arrested for blocking the route.
However, the march continued. Lauren Castillo, Rocky Mountain Regional Coordinator for Students for Life of America, said: "The young people showed that they were peaceful and stood strong in the face of adversity.
"The voices of the dozens of protesters did not and will not intimidate our ever growing and courageous pro-life generation. The protesters did not stop the March for Life today and will not stop our efforts in the future. We will march on."
Social media was awash with tweets from the rally under the hashtags #WhyWeMarch and #MarchForLife.
Just overheard my 9 yr old say to my wife: "Mommy, thanks for having me." She has no idea how profound her statement was. #WhyWeMarch
— Mark Hart (@LT_TheBiblegeek) January 23, 2015 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">Great day standing for LIFE with thousands at the @March_for_Life! Every life is precious. #WhyWeMarch pic.twitter.com/rFexZ8q2x7
— Becky Yeh (@Becky_Yeh) January 23, 2015 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">"The right to life is a matter of justice." This is what Dr King preached and what we live out as pro-lifers" #WhyWeMarch
— March for Life (@March_for_Life) January 23, 2015 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">Even Pope Francis tweeted his support to his 5.3million followers:
Every Life is a Gift. #marchforlife
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 22, 2015 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">Cardinal O'Malley of Boston, head of the US bishop's pro-life committee, gave an address at the preceding Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life on Tuesday evening.
He accused 21st century society of encouraging a "throwaway culture that is now spreading", and said that many people are now indifferent to abortion.
"The pro-life movement in the Catholic Church is about overcoming that indifference," he said.
"Indifference to the suffering of a woman in a difficult pregnancy, indifference to the voiceless child who is destined to be part of the statistic of a million killed in the womb each year, indifferent to the poverty and suffering of so many."
O'Malley stressed the importance of engaging with the issue "with love" rather than judgement.
"An attitude of judgmental self-righteousness is not going to change people's attitudes and save babies. We need to be the field hospital, not Judge Judy."
