Byzantine bishops: sanctity of life is cornerstone of justice

Byzantine bishops: sanctity of life is cornerstone of justice
By Michael Kunitz
 
WASHINGTON — Eastern Catholics were well represented at the 45th annual National March for Life in the nation’s capital Jan. 19.
 
A small but visible contingent from the Eparchy of Parma attended, including an intergenerational group of faithful, seminarians, and Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, apostolic administrator. It was the first March for Life for Bishop Lach.
Prior to the march, Bishop Lach concelebrated Divine Liturgy with Bishop Kurt Burnette of Passaic at Epiphany of Our Lord Parish in Annandale, Virginia.
 
Both bishops spoke about the themes of the day. They stressed the sanctity of life, its protection as a cornerstone for true justice, its necessity for the future of the church, its role as a point for unity in the faith, and its presence as a sign of God’s love for all people.
 
The bishops and faithful present at the liturgy then travelled to the capital to join the overflow crowd of marchers, estimated at 100,000.
 
Joseph Basalla, a parishioner of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, led all of the marchers in the Pledge of Allegiance. He was selected as the Grand Knight of the Catholic University of America Knights of Columbus Council. 
 
Young people from the eparchy, carrying a banner that read, “Eastern Catholics March for Life,” were surprised to meet up with Bishop Lach as they marched among tens of thousands on Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court building. There, they joined Eastern Catholics of various churches in praying the Akathist to the Mother of God, led by Father Lewis Rabayda of Passaic.
 
Among the Eastern Catholic groups that could be identified in the crowd were Chaldeans, Maronites, Melkites, Ukrainians, Romanians and Ruthenians. 
 
President Donald Trump addressed the marchers in remarks broadcast from the White House Rose Garden. He said his administration “will always defend the very first right in the Declaration of Independence, and that is the right to life.”
“Every unborn child is a precious gift from God,” he said. He was interrupted several times by applause from the crowd gathered on the National Mall. He praised the pro-lifers for having “such big hearts and tireless devotion to make sure parents have the support they need to choose life.”
 
With contributions from Catholic News Service and Dr. Susan Gallagher.          
 
Caption: Father Lewis Rabayda of Passaic, wearing a blue stole, leads a group of Eastern Catholics in an Akathist to the Mother of God in front of the Supreme Court building. (Photo: Dr. Susan Gallagher)
 
As published in Horizons, Feb. 11, 2018.
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