OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — Thousands of Canadians met in the nation’s capital of Ottawa on Thursday to call for the end of abortion and euthanasia.
The National March for Life, organized annually by Campaign Life Coalition, was a success as thousands of Canadians marched through the city of Ottawa to show their support for the right to life of unborn children and other vulnerable people. The participants were united in their determination to “stand firm” against attempts to normalize the bloodshed.
The glorious sunny weather reflected the enthusiasm exuded by the participants.
The March 4 Life is alive in Ottawa! @LifeSite is joining forces with pro-life and pro-family witnesses from across Canada to be a voice for the voiceless — especially for the unborn, sick, and elderly. Life is sacred from birth to natural death! #March4Life @CampaignLife pic.twitter.com/8PLo5949X3
— LifeSiteNews (@LifeSite) May 11, 2023
Today’s events began at 12:30 p.m. with a rally on Parliament Hill, followed by a 1:30 p.m. march through downtown Ottawa. This was followed by Silent No More Awareness testimonies. The annual Rose Dinner will be served tonight.
“Wow, there’s a lot of you today,” LifeSiteNews’ editor-in-chief John-Henry Westen told the crowd at the rally. He led them in the traditional “wave” to honor “Jesus Christ, who we know is the Victor and will bring us to victory for life in Canada and around the world.”
“LifeSiteNews is here to serve you,” he added. “From all of our 70 staff at LifeSiteNews, we love you. Thank you for being our inspiration. Stand firm for life!”
The theme of this year’s March was “Stand Firm,” a response to the Trudeau government’s strident pro-abortion reaction to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the USA. Only the most recent example of his fight against the most vulnerable of human beings, the prime minister pledged millions of additional tax dollars for abortions on Wednesday.
In its support of abortion on demand, the Liberal government appears not to find any action against pro-lifers too petty.
“… the government shut down all public washrooms in the vicinity. Shades of treatment of Truckers. The Liberal regime hates Canadian citizens who disagree with them,” tweeted marcher Deb Gyapong, a retired journalist.
Meanwhile, the overturning of Roe v. Wade was certainly an inspiration to Josie Luetke, a lead investigator for the film Roe Canada: The True North in a Post Roe World.
“The most basic function of a society is to stop its members from killing each other,” Luetke told the cheering crowd.
“Canada must end abortion and euthanasia, or we will live only to see our civilization die,” she continued.
“We can follow in the footsteps of the United States, which over turned Roe v Wade after a nearly 50-year-long battle. We too can experience a triumph like Dobbs. It will not be easy, but it is possible.”
Archbishop Marcel Damphousse of Ottawa-Cornwall was also among those who marched today.
“The archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall is truly blessed with so many people coming out to bring a voice to those who have no voice and to really make the message loud and clear,” he told EWTN Canada, which live streamed the March for Life.
“We need to stand firm together,” the archbishop continued. “We need to be able to tell the government that there are many other options than what they’re proposing as to how we are to treat mothers who are expecting and people at the end of life who are really finding it challenging. To tell them that the only way is through death is such a horrible message to give.”
Abp. Damphousse called upon his fellow clerics “to stand firm in faith” and “speak the word of truth.”
“Marching for life is exciting because there is a lot of enthusiasm in the crowd here today,” he added.
In addition to his speech, Westen also gave an interview to EWTN Canada, in which he hammered home the importance of Christ in the pro-life movement, and the need for all of us, even if it’s “uncomfortable,” to spread the message of life to those we know.
Also in attendance at the rally were prominent American pro-lifers, including Stephen Karlen, the Director of 40 Days for Life.
READ: Trudeau promises millions more in federal funding for abortions on eve of Canadian March for Life
We ask you to join us in thanking this faithful shepherd for his years of loving service to Christ and His Church.
Bishop Thomas Tobin of the Diocese of Providence, RI, known for his outspoken defense of the Church’s moral teachings on the sanctity of life, marriage, and human sexuality, has just resigned upon reaching the age of 75 on April 1.
SIGN: Thank you Bishop Tobin for answering God’s call to serve His Church
Here is our message to Bishop Tobin which you can sign:
In a statement to the diocese on the occasion of his resignation, Bishop Tobin thanked the faithful and clergy of Providence for their support over the years, encouraging them to remain steadfast in the faith. “I urge all the members of the church to remain steadfast in your faith, to be proud of the good work you are doing, and to be determined to carry on the work that Jesus has entrusted to you,” Tobin said.
As bishop, Tobin consistently raised his voice to clearly reiterate the perennial teachings of the Church that the life of the unborn is sacred, marriage is a lifelong union between one man and one woman, and the innocence of children must be protected in society.
He has also defended traditional Catholics who wish to worship according to the Church’s ancient liturgy in the Tridentine Latin Mass.
Unafraid to hold to account so-called “Catholic” politicians who aggressively promote abortion and oppose the protection of the lives of the unborn, in 2019 Tobin excoriated Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, who says he is Catholic but voted against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Act, designed to protect children born alive during botched abortions from being left to die.
In the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, Tobin called out the contradiction between a politician calling himself Catholic and yet rejecting Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life. In a tweet sent out on May 7, 2020, Tobin said one cannot be an “authentic” Catholic and hold a pro-abortion position.
“Just saw a headline in a Catholic newspaper with the phrase ‘pro-abortion Catholic.’ Sorry. That’s a contradiction in terms. You can’t be a Catholic, at least not an authentic one, and be ‘pro-abortion.’ Or ‘pro-choice.’ It’s the same thing,” the bishop said.
SIGN: Thank you Bishop Tobin for answering God’s call to serve His Church
Several months later Tobin again sparked a heated Twitter debate over what constitutes a Catholic when he sarcastically implied that then-presidential candidate Joe Biden isn’t one. The outspoken bishop was hammered on Twitter with ad hominem attacks after he posted the following:
Biden-Harris. First time in a while that the Democratic ticket hasn’t had a Catholic on it. Sad.
— Bishop Thomas Tobin (@ThomasJTobin1) August 11, 2020
Tobin doubled down on his criticisms of President Biden’s zeal for abortion in 2022, when he stated that he could not be “both a devout Catholic and a pro-abortion zealot”:
President Biden cannot be both a devout Catholic and a pro-abortion zealot. The two are mutually exclusive. He is a poor, lost and confused soul. Truly, we need to pray for him, everyday.
— Bishop Thomas Tobin (@ThomasJTobin1) September 23, 2022
Tobin’s courageous defense of the Church’s moral teachings was not limited, however, to standing up against the prominent pro-abortion advocates of the Left. He also earned their hatred with his public stance against LGBT ideology and intimidation.
On June 1, 2019, to mark the beginning of so-called “pride month”, the Rhode Island bishop tweeted that Catholics should not take part in “pride” events due to their conflict with the Catholic faith, making special note of the danger to children:
A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ “Pride Month” events held in June. They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals. They are especially harmful for children.
— Bishop Thomas Tobin (@ThomasJTobin1) June 1, 2019
The public stance made the bishop the target of high-volume vitriol from LGBT adherents and supporters, who moved swiftly to squash the Catholic shepherd’s advisory to his flock to remain faithful to “Catholic faith and morals,” demonstrating the resolve of anti-Catholic forces to silence Church teaching.
Several days later, Tobin issued the following statement, declaring it his obligation as a bishop to preach the truth of Christ “even on very difficult and sensitive issues”, affirming that he would continue to do so. He stated, “As a Catholic Bishop, however, my obligation before God is to lead the faithful entrusted to my care and to teach the faith, clearly and compassionately, even on very difficult and sensitive issues. That is what I have always tried to do – on a variety of issues – and I will continue doing so as contemporary issues arise.”
SIGN: Thank you Bishop Tobin for answering God’s call to serve His Church
Ever sensitive to the needs of the flock entrusted to this care, Tobin also supported those Catholics devoted to the ancient liturgy in the Traditional Latin Mass. In January 2022, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, he encouraged “respect and support” for “members of our own Church who are devoted to [the] TLM,” affirming their fidelity to the Church, a notable public defense in the face of attacks from authorities in Rome, such as Cardinal Roche, who has dubbed those who love the ancient Mass “more Protestant than Catholic.”
In contrast, Bishop Tobin wrote:
In this Week of Prayer for #ChristianUnity, let’s also work to safeguard and promote “Catholic Unity.” In particular, let’s resolve to respect and support members of our own Church who are devoted to TLM. They are faithful Catholics who greatly love the Lord and his Church.
— Bishop Thomas Tobin (@ThomasJTobin1) January 18, 2022
Again, earlier this year, Tobin criticized the increased ostracization of traditional Catholics by Rome in a tweet that contrasted the heavy-handedness of the Vatican’s restrictions with the Pope’s call for accompaniment and listening. The prelate wrote,
The way the Vatican is dealing with the Traditional Latin Mass does not seem to me to be the “style of God.” Pope Francis himself has emphasized that those who are attached to the TLM should be “accompanied listened to, and given time.”
— Bishop Thomas Tobin (@ThomasJTobin1) February 21, 2023
With the courageous Bishop of Providence now retiring, the sentiments of Catholics grateful for his defense of life, family, and faith can perhaps not be put better than what was stated by those same Catholics several years ago: “Your clear and compassionate teaching gives hope to Catholics and Christians everywhere.”
In the words of Bishop Strickland, “Thanks for speaking up Bishop Tobin….let us be mighty loving messengers of truth and light in Jesus Christ.”
SIGN: Thank you Bishop Tobin for answering God’s call to serve His Church
MORE INFORMATION:
Bishop Thomas Tobin retires at age 75 – LifeSiteNews
A small group of abortion enthusiasts who gathered as a counter-demonstration was dwarfed by the large crowds of families, singles and religious.
The pro-life movement in Canada has been revitalized following the overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that “guaranteed” abortion as a “constitutional right.”
While Canada has never enshrined abortion as a “right,” the country lacks any federal laws regulating feticide, meaning women in Canada can have their unborn child killed up until the moment of birth.
In addition to the legal silence regarding abortion, six of 10 provinces — British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland & Labrador — have gone as far as prohibiting pro-life advocates from witnessing outside abortion facilities with “bubble zone” legislation.
According to Campaign Life Coalition’s website, abortion has killed over 4 million preborn babies in Canada since its legalization in 1969, roughly totaling the population of the province of Alberta.
While official statistics are difficult to pin down, for every four babies born alive in Canada, one is killed in the womb via intentional abortion.