Pope Leo XIV Calls for Prayer and Testimony at National Life March in Bratislava

brown brick house under blue sky during daytime — Jaakko Kemppainen / Unsplash

Pope Leo XIV urged a renewed awareness of the precious gift of life received from God to be welcomed and protected from conception until natural death. He made the appeal in a message read on stage at the fifth National March for Life held on Sunday, September 20, in Bratislava, Slovakia. The message was delivered by Archbishop Nicola Girasoli, the apostolic nuncio to Slovakia. The Pope encouraged the promotion of a culture that especially cares for the most fragile and defenseless, contributing to a more fraternal and solidary society. Thousands of families gathered in Bratislava’s central square for the final edition of the march, one of the most important social and religious mobilizations in Slovakia. Participants from across the country affirmed the intrinsic dignity and value of every human being, committed to fostering a culture of welcome that protects life at all stages, from conception to natural death.

Originally organized in the United States in 1974 in response to the Roe v. Wade decision, the demonstration has evolved into a major event with broad reach, now including numerous European capitals. The primary aim is to sensitize public opinion and legislative bodies to the need for legal protection and social support for both unborn children and mothers in difficulty, opposing practices such as abortion and euthanasia, which the Pope recently described as "shameful" during his September 16 general audience. All actions contrary to life, including any form of homicide, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, and voluntary suicide; all violations of human person integrity such as mutilation, torture, psychological coercion; all offenses to human dignity such as inhumane living conditions, arbitrary arrests, deportations, slavery, prostitution, trafficking of women and youth, or exploitative labor where workers are treated as mere profit instruments rather than free and responsible persons; all such things and similar are undoubtedly shameful.

In Slovakia, the event is coordinated by the country's bishops in collaboration with various pro‑life associations, forming not only an ethical reflection moment but also a true family celebration. "Our message is simple: every human life has dignity and must be protected. We want to protect, especially, the children who have not yet been born. But we also want to help concretely mothers and families in difficulty," said Father Ivan Ružička, secretary general of the Slovak Bishops' Conference.