‘Walk for Life’ returns after a two-year hiatus

By Alexander Cardenas

Filipino families, religious organizations, and the faithful join the early morning walk dubbed “Walk for Life” in the Philippine capital Manila on February 18, 2023. (Photo by Angie de Silva, LiCAS News)

Catholics walked from Welcome Rotonda, Quezon City, to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Grandstand during the “Walk for Life” march on Feb. 18, when it returned for the first time since the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theme of this year's Walk for Life was “Clergy and lay faithful called to walk together for life.”

Organized by the Council Laity of the Philippines, the event aims to defend the “culture of life” against the “culture of death,” which has been annually celebrated since 2017.

Thousands of participants gathered at the Welcome Rotonda roundabout at 4 am, before walking to UST, where Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Secretary General Msgr. Bernardo Pantin celebrated Mass at 7 am.

In his homily, Pantin emphasized the importance of respect amid the participation from the pro-life march.

“When we celebrate this Walk for Life, it is not just walking together, but the greater meaning that when we walk, it is a journey through life with one another,” Pantin said.

The former president of the UST Alumni Priests’ Association also urged Catholics to defend the sanctity of human and environmental life as the Lord accompanies the faithful in a common goal to preserve life.

“Yung Santo Papa naman natin, sabi niya na hindi lamang yung buhay natin, physical life, but yung buong mundo talaga, including the environment, because when we destroy the environment, we also destroy life,” he said.