Archbishop John Wilson

Fourteen Catholic bishops will attend this year’s UK’s March for Life, double the number seen in previous years Fourteen Catholic bishops are expected to attend this year’s March for Life UK in London in what organisers believe will be one of the largest displays of episcopal support for the annual pro-life event since it was founded. Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, co-director of March for Life UK, revealed the names of the bishops expected at the 5 September march as the UK’s pro-life movement prepares for its annual witness to the value of human life. The bishops include Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster, Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham and Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark, alongside Bishops David Evans, Paul Mason, Peter Collins, Philip Egan, David Waller, Paul Hendricks, Frank Dougan, John Arnold, John Keenan, Paul Swarbrick and Bosco MacDonald. The announcement follows a turbulent year for the pro-life movement after MPs backed measures that would effectively decriminalise abortion at any stage of pregnancy in England and Wales. Archbishop Wilson emerged as one of the strongest episcopal critics of the proposals. Responding after Parliament approved the changes, he said: “This is a truly tragic moment for our nation.” Archbishop Wilson continued: “How can this frightening legislation, which, following Royal Assent, will permit the abortion of children right up until the moment of birth for any reason, have any place in a civilised society?” He added: “There is, however, another life involved which is now to be ignored and silenced. There are also serious concerns for the safety of women.” “While there is an even more difficult journey now to protect the unborn child, we must continue to speak up for the voiceless, support women in crisis pregnancies and witness to the sanctity of every human life.” Other bishops expected to attend have also been prominent defenders of Catholic teaching on abortion. Bishop Philip Egan of Portsmouth previously criticised proposals to expand abortion access in Guernsey, warning they would permit abortions “much later in pregnancy”, with less regulation and “right up to birth for a disabled child”. He said: “But what procedure can justify any professional termination of the life of an innocent baby?” Describing the proposals as “fundamentally detestable”, he urged Catholics to oppose any further liberalisation of abortion laws. Bishop David Waller, the Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, has regularly attended March for Life events and has spoken of the need to uphold the dignity of every human person. Addressing a previous rally, he said: “It’s so wonderful because ultimately those who come on this march are already living in this profound truth that human life is sacred.” He added: “It’s not just about the unborn child; there are all sorts of issues in our society, but if the unborn child isn’t sacred, then really everything falls from there.” He concluded: “It’s not about hating people who have turned to abortion, because their lives, too, are holy and sacred. It’s about the fundamental dignity of human life.” Among those travelling from Scotland is Bishop John Keenan of Paisley, one of the country’s most outspoken pro-life advocates. He has repeatedly criticised attempts to exclude pro-life voices from public debate and has called abortion the “greatest human rights issue of all time”. Bishop Paul Swarbrick of Lancaster, another regular supporter of the event, told participants at a previous March for Life rally: “I don’t need to be a Catholic bishop to know abortion isn’t the way it should be.” March for Life UK was established in 2012 and has grown into the largest annual pro-life demonstration in the United Kingdom. Thousands of participants are expected to gather in central London this year for a day of prayer, speeches and public witness. The attendance of 14 bishops is double the number who have attended in previous years. While this year has certainly brought another attack on the unborn by the state, there have also been major pro-life victories. Both the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments rejected outright the introduction of assisted suicide into the National Health Service. Similarly, the House of Lords identified so many faults in Kim Leadbeater’s rushed attempt to impose assisted suicide that the bill fell. With increasing numbers of MPs switching from support to opposition, alongside a shift in public opinion, it is unlikely that another attempt will be made during this Parliament. The bishops’ show of support acknowledges both the challenges and the victories experienced recently by the UK’s pro-life movement.