Romania: 26 March, pro-life march in several cities with participation of Catholic and Orthodox churches. 23 million abortions in 63 years.

After two years of exclusively online events due to the pandemic, the pro-life march returns to Romania to mark the International Day of the Unborn Child, traditionally celebrated on 25 March. The march, that has reached its 12th edition, will have as its theme “Equality, Equity and Support – Throughout Life, from the First Moment”. It is an invitation to reflect, the organisers explain in a statement, on “equal opportunities for pregnant women in difficult situations” and for their unborn children. The event will be held on Saturday, 26 March, in Bucharest, Iași, Timișoara, Oradea, Cluj-Napoca and other cities in Romania and will also be attended by representatives of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The first pro-life march in Romania was organized by a Catholic NGO in Timișoara in 2008. Since 2011, the initiative has been celebrated nationwide with the support of the Romanian Orthodox Church. According to the organisers, since 1958 – when abortion was liberalised in Romania – the abortion rate has remained high, regardless of the country’s political regime or the legal status of abortion. According to official data, 23 million abortions were performed in Romania over the last 63 years - a figure that exceeds the country’s current population (about 20 million). With this year’s pro-life march, organisers want to draw attention to the difficulties leading pregnant women to abortion and the need to support them in choosing life.
Valentina Bombelli