Pope Encourages U.S. March for Life Via Tweet

“Every Life is a Gift,” he said Jan. 22, using the hashtag “#marchforlife.”

(photo: CNA/Daniel Ibañez)

VATICAN CITY — As massive crowds of pro-life advocates gathered for the March for Life in Washington, Pope Francis on Thursday tweeted a short message of support.

“Every Life is a Gift,” he said Jan. 22, using the hashtag “#marchforlife.” The message went out to over 5.3 million Twitter followers on his English-language account “Pontifex.”

To his 7.8 million Spanish-language Twitter followers, he sent the same message: “Cada Vida es un Don.”

As of noon Eastern Time Thursday, his English-language tweet had more than 12,000 retweets and 17,000 favorites. His Spanish-language tweet had more than 3,700 retweets and 3,800 favorites.

Last year, the Pope also tweeted a message in English and Spanish.

“I join the March for Life in Washington with my prayers. May God help us respect all life, especially the most vulnerable,” he said in January 2014.

The pro-life march in Washington typically draws hundreds of thousands of attendees of all religious backgrounds, though Catholic participants are numerous. This year's event marks the 42nd anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which mandated legal abortion nationwide.

Pope Francis made a surprise visit via popemobile to an April 2013 pro-life march in Rome.

He is not the first pope to tweet to the March for Life. Pope Benedict XVI sent a message of support for U.S. pro-life advocates on Twitter in January 2013.

Tens of thousands of pro-life advocates march through the streets of Washington, D.C., during the 52nd-annual March for Life. Participants from across the nation braved sunny but frigid weather to demonstrate their commitment to the protection of unborn life.

A Promising Pro-Life Start

EDITORIAL: Both President Trump and Vice President Vance voiced their support of the pro-life cause at the Jan. 24 March for Life in Washington.