(LifeSiteNews) – An estimated 10,000 people walked through the streets of Warsaw under the motto “I Promise You” on Sunday, September 18 as part of Poland’s National March for Life and Family.
According to the president of the Center for Life and Family, Pawel Ozdoba, “Similar marches are organized throughout the year in 150 towns and cities in Poland, and gather several hundred thousand people.”
Ponad 10 tysięcy uczestników na Narodowym Marszu dla Życia i Rodziny! 👏🏻💪 pic.twitter.com/s7WhyXtPjB
— Paweł Ozdoba (@PawelOzdoba) September 18, 2022
The President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, greeted the participants in a video message, saying:
I am very happy that you are again marching through the streets of Warsaw, […] Grandparents, parents, children, and parents-to-be form a great joyful community here today. Together you are giving public testimony of your commitment to the noblest ideals. You express the conviction that a strong family means a successful future for our country. I thank you from the heart for this.
This year’s motto of the March “I Promise You,” is a reference to wedding vows, as the event put a special emphasis on marriage and family. Krystian Kratiuk, one of the ambassadors of the March, told LifeSite:
The March for Life and Family is the only event of its kind in Poland in which people take to the streets not to demonstrate against something, but to demonstrate for something, pro-something. And this does not involve strictly political issues. This is an unusual initiative because we no longer need to protest at least against the right to abortion. That’s why this year about 10,000 people took to the streets of the capital under the slogan “and I vow to you.” So it was a march to remind people that marriage, a lasting family, the singularity of marriage, and faithfulness in it are still important to its participants. This is such a [classic] reason to demonstrate that it is beautiful. It is hard not to love Poland and Poles for this very thing. The march was a success in terms of the number of people, as it was organized in autumn when the weather is already ugly in Poland. Very importantly, President Andrzej Duda also spoke during it.”
Participants held colorful balloons and Polish flags. They also carried banners with messages such as: “May children live,” “Life is beautiful,” “I choose life,” or “Fatherhood begins at conception. Equal responsibility. Equal rights.” In addition, spouses carried badges on which they wrote their names and how long they have been married.
Ozdoba said that they are showing people that “marriage can be happy,” since statistics would show that nationally every third marriage ends in divorce and therefore a firm response is needed.
Tłumy na Narodowym Marszu dla Życia i Rodziny! ♥️ Na scenie Arka Noego! pic.twitter.com/KglDAPX34v
— Paweł Ozdoba (@PawelOzdoba) September 18, 2022
The event took place under the honorary patronage of Archbishop Stanislaw Gądecki, president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, and concluded with a solemn Mass.