Editorial

May all generations continue building a culture of life

It is inspiring each year to see the more than 1,000 high school and college students from across the state who participate in the annual Indiana March for Life on the streets of downtown Indianapolis.

This year, where nearly 1,400 attended, was no different.

Despite arriving in Indianapolis on the morning of Jan. 22 to a temperature of minus 2 degrees (which registered as minus 15 degrees with the wind chill), the students and adults from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and dioceses of Evansville, Fort Wayne-South Bend, Gary and Lafayette who participated were—as is always the case—eager to stand up for life.

Many began the day by attending an annual youth rally in the Indiana Convention Center, followed by taking part in a Mass for Life celebrated by Indianapolis Archbishop Charles C. Thompson.

And their actions and words—including the nearly 400 teenagers who took part in the sacrament of reconciliation—throughout the day were again a powerful witness of faith.

Despite a sun-drenched afternoon, frigid temperatures (15 degrees, with a windchill of 7 degrees) descended on the marchers. Undeterred by the stinging cold and biting wind that blew at times, the group chanted pro-life slogans, prayed the rosary and offered petitions as they poignantly marched to the Indiana Statehouse and stood up for the unborn.

“Pro Woman: Child: Life” read one placard carried during the rally. “I Demand Protection At Conception” read another. Several signs stating “The New Albany Deanery Marches for Life” were carried by a group of young people from southern Indiana. “I Am The Post-Roe Generation” signs filled the streets of downtown Indianapolis as well.

While many in society believe the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization landmark 2022 ruling, which overturned

Roe v. Wade, put an end to any discussion about legal abortion, nothing could be further from the truth. The court’s decision held that the U.S. Constitution does not protect abortion rights. But it returned the power to regulate abortion back to individual states.

Sadly, several states—including all of the states bordering Indiana—have passed legislation or taken other action to keep abortion legal. Last November, voters approved referendums to expand legal protections for abortion in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada and Missouri, and related measures in Maryland and New York.

But thanks be to God, voters in Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota rejected such measures in November, defying a trend from elections in 2022 and 2023.

Other states, including Indiana in August of 2022, have enacted laws giving legal protection to unborn children. But several of those decisions have been challenged in court by pro-abortion advocates. The Indiana Supreme Court upheld the state’s abortion ban in June of 2023, and it went into effect in August of that year.

Although it may appear a monumental task, the states that have approved legal protections for abortion need our prayers. We must have the strength and wherewithal to offer petitions for what some may consider the impossible to achieve—ending abortion during our lifetime. But we must also remember our faith can move mountains.

Clearly, the effort to build up a culture of life where abortion is unthinkable is far from over in our country.

There is also an erroneous argument some pro-abortion supporters make about pro-life advocates abandoning and not supporting the mothers of these preborn children, and only caring about the unborn child. That untruth must be addressed as well.

We need to remind them every state has a life-of-mother provision which protects an expectant mother’s safety.

When it comes to expectant mothers, the Church in the U.S.—including in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis—has a Walking with Moms program.

A nationwide, parish-based initiative to increase support for pregnant and parenting mothers in need, Walking with Moms “works to ensure that any woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, or parenting in difficult circumstances, can turn to her local Catholic Church and be connected with the resources she needs. Volunteers walk with moms throughout the motherhood journey, offering them authentic Christian friendship and ongoing support.” Its local website is walkingwithmomsindy.org.

This is offered in addition to the countless grassroots pro-life ministries across the nation that have been giving material, emotional and spiritual assistance to mothers in need for many decades before Dobbs.

We thank our Creator for people of all generations and faith traditions who stand up for life.

We understand that truly building a culture of life takes time, but let us pray that God continues to use us as his instruments to bring about the conversion of others.

—Mike Krokos