(LifeSiteNews) — The annual Youth Rally and Mass for Life in Washington, D.C. has been cancelled for 2023.
The Archdiocese of Washington announced the decision to cancel the event in an undated notice. The Youth Rally and Mass for Life have attracted thousands of young people over the past 25 years; they gathered in Washington D.C. to celebrate life and pray for an end to abortion as well as taking part in the National March for Life to the Supreme Court.
“After a consultation process that involved dialogue with other dioceses, ministry leaders and the partners who assist the Archdiocese in hosting the annual Rally and Mass, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington has decided not to move forward with hosting the larger multi-Diocese Rally,” the cancellation notice reads.
Nevertheless, the archdiocese “encourage[s] groups traveling to Washington, D.C. to participate in the National March for Life at the National Mall and to attend the Vigil Mass at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.”
The announcement included sentiments from Cardinal Gregory, archbishop of the diocese, who “would like to express his deepest gratitude for the support and participation of Archdiocesan youth and young people who traveled to Washington, D.C. over these past twenty-five years.” He also offered an invitation to parish and school youth groups from the archdiocese to attend a “Mass of Celebration and Thanksgiving” on January 20. It is clear that this Mass is not meant to be a national event.
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The reason, or reasons, for cancelling the Youth Rally and Mass for Life is not identified in the notice. LifeSiteNews has contacted the archdiocese as well as the diocesan coordinator of youth ministry for further details but has not yet received a response.
The decision comes after many individual states have hosted statewide pro-life marches with renewed enthusiasm following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Cardinal Gregory has a history of making controversial decisions as the Archbishop of Washington, including implying that he would not refuse Holy Communion to pro-abortion House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Similarly, in 2020, Gregory did not deny then-Vice President Joe Biden the sacrament despite the latter’s public promotion of abortion.
More recently, the archbishop disappointed many Catholics with his restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass, which is now limited to Sunday celebrations in just three churches in the diocese.
Despite the cancellation of the rally and Mass and the questions rising after the decision, the national March for Life is set to take place on January 20 with the theme “Next Steps: Marching into a Post-Roe America.” 2023 marks the 50th nationwide event and will celebrate the enormous pro-life victory which brought the issue of abortion back to individual states and ruled against enshrining abortion as a constitutional “right.”
READ: Here’s what pro-lifers can do to keep anti-abortion momentum following the midterms