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Vatican City, Jan 27, 2017 / 11:43 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In a message marking Friday's observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day, a Vatican official has said it is reminder that we need to maintain vigilance against violations of human dignity.

“First and foremost, remembrance of the Holocaust, the Shoah – the planned annihilation of the Jewish people, and the planned extermination of Roma and Sinti and other groups of people – brings to mind all the victims of those most heinous crimes against humanity, whose terrible suffering unmasks the complete disregard for the inherent dignity of every person,” Monsignor Janusz Urbanczyk, the Vatican's permanent representative fo the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said at the group's Jan. 27 meeting.

Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the anniverary of the liberation of prisoners of Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945.

During World War II, more than 6 million Jews and at least 5 million non-Jewish Poles, Slavs, Romani, Soviets, Catholics, homosexuals, disabled persons, and political and religious dissidents were murdered at the hands of Nazis. The Nazi party justified its persecution and treatment of its victims by calling them subhuman and inferior “lives unworthy of life.”

Msgr. Urbanczyk commented, “The suffering and ultimate sacrifice, the fear and tears, of the countless victims of blind hatred who suffered deportation, imprisonment and death in those perverted and inhuman places must never be forgotten.”

He said the Holocaust summons us “to renew our commitment to ensure greater and unconditional respect for the dignity of every person. Special recognition and honour should also be given to those who, at the risk of their own lives, strove to protect the persecuted, their fellow men and women, resisting the homicidal folly around them.”

“The past must serve as a lesson for the present and for the future, so as not to repeat history’s terrible mistakes, and ensure that younger generations will not have to face this evil again. In this regard, the Holy See attaches great importance and actively operates in the field of education, especially in schools, to counter both anti-Semitism in general and Holocaust denial in particular,” the priest stated.

“And finally, in the face of the outright barbarism of the Holocaust, in the face of the attempted destruction of an entire people, in the face of a cold, relentless violence and darkness, the international community, States and individuals must strive to live out the principles of peace, justice, solidarity and reconciliation,” he said.

Because such cruelty remains in the world we must “open every possible pathway of peace and hope,” he Msgr. Urbanczyk concluded.

Pope Francis observed Holocaust Remembrance Day by meeting with a delegation of the European Jewish Congress, during which he said that remembering the even is important so that such a tragedy never happens again.

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Washington D.C., Jan 27, 2017 / 11:43 am (CNA/EWTN News).- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence urged pro-lifers to win over hearts with gentleness and compassion at the 2017 March for Life on Friday.

“So I urge you to press on,” Pence told the audience gathered on the National Mall for the rally, imploring them “as it is written, let your gentleness be evident to all.”

“Let this movement be known for love, not anger,” he said, “let it be known for compassion, not confrontation.”

The pro-life movement can win the hearts and minds of young people “if our hearts first break for young mothers and their unborn children, and if we each of us do all we can to meet them where they are with generosity, not judgment.”

The 44th annual March for Life was held on Friday in Washington, D.C. The world’s largest annual pro-life rally, the march has been held every year since 1974 on or around the Jan. 22 anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that mandated legal abortion nationwide.

Generally, the annual march draws hundreds of thousands of attendees to the nation’s capital, primarily young people.

Pence was the first sitting vice president to address the March for Life. “I’m deeply humbled to stand before you today,” he told a cheering crowd.

“On behalf of the President of the United States,” he said, “we thank you for your stand for life” and “for your compassion, for your love of the women and children of America.”

“And be assured, along with you, we will not grow weary, we will not rest until we restore a culture of life in America for ourselves and for our posterity.”

Pence noted the administration’s reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy earlier this week. The policy bars the reception of taxpayer dollars by international non-governmental organizations which perform or promote abortions overseas.

He promised the Trump administration “will work with the Congress to end taxpayer funding of abortion and abortion providers” and will reallocate those resources to groups that help women. This week, the House of Representatives passed a bill banning taxpayer dollars from directly funding abortions.

Pence also said that next week, a pro-life nominee will be announced to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Other scheduled speakers at the rally included Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, Trump’s advisor Kellyanne Conway, members of Congress, and tight end Benjamin Watson of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League.

Cardinal Dolan, in his prayer at the rally, thanked God for a country “where the dignity of each human person” is “a self-evident truth.”

“Our prayers are the more fervent” on this day, he said, noting that “our supplication this afternoon is the more hopeful as we rejoice in the solidarity of the hundreds of thousands” participating in the March.

Pence insisted that the pro-life movement must uphold the dignity of human life of all vulnerable persons.

“Society can be judged by how we care for the most vulnerable,” he said, pointing to the aged, infirm, disabled, and unborn as examples. “We’ve come to a historic moment in the cause of life,” he added, and “we must meet this moment with respect and compassion for every American.”

“Life is winning in America,” he said, “and today is a celebration of that progress, the progress that we’ve made in that cause.”

Speakers at the rally also insisted that mothers be cared for and supported.

“This is a time of incredible promise for the pro-life, pro-adoption movement,” Conway said, stressing that the pro-life movement must help women “who face unplanned pregnancies.”

“They should know that they are not alone,” she said, “they too are protected and cared for, and celebrated.”

“May God bless the women who are struggling with unplanned pregnancies,” said Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah), “may we help them discover their power and their potential.”

 

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Washington D.C., Jan 27, 2017 / 12:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis offered his greeting to participants at the 2017 March for Life in Washington, D.C., assuring them of his prayers and imparting his Apostolic Blessing upon all present.

In a papal telegram from Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy Father thanked the marchers for their witness to life.

“Pope Francis sends warm greetings and the assurance of his closeness in prayer to the many thousands of young people from throughout America gathered in the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Arlington for the annual March for Life,” the message said.

“His Holiness is profoundly grateful for this impressive testimony to the sacredness of every human life.”

The text of the telegram was included in a letter from Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, sent to Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia.

The message quoted a passage from Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia: “so great is the value of a human life, and so inalienable the right to life of an innocent child growing in the mother’s womb, that no alleged right…can justify a decision to terminate that life.”

Pope Francis, the message continued, “trusts that this event, in which so many American citizens speak out on behalf of the most defenseless of our brothers and sisters, will contribute to a mobilization of consciences in defense of the right to life and effective measures to ensure its adequate legal protection.”

The 44th annual March for Life was held Jan. 27 in Washington, D.C. The march – which routinely draws hundreds of thousands of participants from around the country – is generally held close to the Jan. 22 anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that mandated legal abortion nationwide.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the March for Life this year, marking the first time that a current vice president has attended the event. Pence told the crowds that the pro-life movement is winning, urging them to fight for life with compassion and love.

Other speakers at this year’s rally and march include Kellyanne Conway, senior counselor to President Donald Trump; Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York; Baltimore Ravens tight end Benjamin Watson; and former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson.

 

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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Vice President Mike Pence told pro-life advocates from across the U.S. Jan. 27 that "life is winning in America, and today is a celebration of that progress."

Pence addressed the March for Life on the National Mall in Washington, making him the highest government official to address the annual event in person. As a member of Congress, he had addressed the March for Life in previous years, including in 2002, 2003 and 2007.

"More than 240 years ago our founders declared these truths to be self-evident -- that we are, all of us, endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," he said. "Forty-four years ago our Supreme Court turned away from the first of these timeless ideals, but today, generations hence -- because of all of you and the many thousands who stand with us in rallies across this country -- life is winning again in America."

Pence said President Donald Trump had asked him to address the March for Life rally. "He asked me to thank you for your support, for your stand for life and your compassion for the women and children of America."

"Our president is a man with broad shoulders, a big heart," Pence said. "His vision, his energy, his optimism are boundless, and I know he will make America great again. From his first day in office, he has been keeping his promises to the American people. Over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, we're in the promise-keeping business."

He pointed to Trump's Jan. 23 executive action reinstating what's called the Mexico City Policy, which bans tax dollars from funding groups that promote or perform abortion in other countries. He said the administration would work with Congress to stop taxpayer funding of abortion "and devote those resources to health care services for women across America."

On Jan. 24 the House passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, making the 41-year-old Hyde Amendment permanent. The amendment, which has had to be approved each year as part of the budget for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, prohibits tax dollars from paying for abortion except in cases of rape, incest or threat to the woman's life. The Senate has yet to act on a companion bill, but Trump has said he will sign it into law when the measure reaches his desk.

"I urge you to press on," Pence told the March for Life rally-goers. "Let your gentleness be evident to all. Let this movement be known for love, not anger. Let this movement be known for compassion, not confrontation. When it comes to matters of the heart, there is nothing stronger than gentleness. I believe we will continue to win the minds and hearts of the rising generation if our hearts first break for mothers and their unborn children and meet them where they are with generosity, not judgment. To heal our land and restore a culture of life, we must continue to be a movement that embraces all and shows the dignity and worth of every person."

Pence's wife, Karen, introduced her husband. She noted this March for Life was not the first for the Pence family; they have attended the event for the past 16 years, "but it is the warmest," she joked. By midday the temperature in Washington was in the low 40s. Previous marches have taken place in frigid temperatures. Last year's turnout was affected by a blizzard.

Karen Pence said of her husband that she had never met anyone "anyone who has more compassion for women, for children and for the American people. He's one of the kindest people that I know."

Before Pence spoke, Kellyanne Conway, special adviser to Trump, took the podium.

"I am a wife, a mother, a Catholic, counselor to the president of the United States of America, and yes, I am pro-life," Conway said. "It is such an honor to stand with the vice president of the United States and so many leaders, families and students from places near and far (today).

"Your courage, your conviction and your faith are impressive and consequential," she told the crowd. "This is a new day, a new dawn for life. Why are we here? What does it mean to stand together to be part of this incredible movement, to face criticism, ridicule, and laws and lawmakers (against life)? It means to protect and promote the most previous gift in the world -- the gift of life. It means to stand up stand tall and stand together against the indifference and the indefensible and on behalf of babies in the womb.

"This is a time of incredible promise for the pro-life and pro-adoption movement," she continued. "Women who face troubled pregnancies should know they are not alone, that they are not judged, they are protected and cared for and celebrated."

Conway told pro-life supporters: "Allow me to make it very clear -- we hear you, we see you, we respect you, and we look forward to working with you, and yes, we march, we walk, we run and endeavor forward with you."

At midday there was no official crowd count from the March for Life organization. A CNN reporter said there were attendees "as far as the eye could see."

After a lineup of speakers, rally participants planned to march from the National Mall to Constitution Avenue, then up the avenue to the Supreme Court.

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