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On Friday, January 20, 2023, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel, His Eminence Archbishop Michael, and His Grace Bishop Andrei joined the annual March for Life in Washington, DC, along with other Orthodox bishops, clergy, monastics, seminarians, and faithful from around the country.
Orthodox Christians gathered together to condemn abortion and proclaim the sanctity of life. While the Supreme Court has undone the injustice wrought by its decision in the case of Roe v. Wade, as His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon affirmed in his annual statement made available early this month, “our work in defense and promotion of life is only just beginning. (…) Life, for Christians, means far more than biological life. And yet this deeper and broader conception of life should only increase our reverence for biological life. For, in Christ, we understand that every human being is created in the image of God, and that every human life is a free gift of the Father, from whom comes every good and perfect gift (Gen. 1:27, Jam. 1:17).”
Once again, Orthodox Christians for Life took the lead in organizing the Orthodox participation at the March, promoting the event, and coordinating various aspects of its planning.
On Thursday, January 19, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel, and His GraceBishop Andrei, along with other bishops of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, represented the Orthodox Church during an evening Mass at the Roman Catholic Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
On Friday, January 20, Metropolitan Tikhon hosted Orthodox bishops, clergy and faithful at the Saint Nicholas Primatial Cathedral, where Archpriest Valery Shemchuk and Deacon Peter Ilchuk served the Divine Liturgy. At the end of the service, His Beatitude welcomed all those gathered there to participate in the annual March for Life and proclaim the sacred gift of life.
Following the breakfast hosted by Orthodox Christians for Life at the Cathedral’s hall, all those in attendance moved to the Mall for the beginning of the March. Following the initial prayer, Metropolitan Tikhon served the Molieben for all the victims of abortion.
