This peaceful march is an invitation to reflect on what human life is and where it fits into our consciousness, society and decisions. Although many of us have a Christian worldview, the theme of life is universal since it connects believers and non-believers alike. It is a question of human dignity, independent of religious or philosophical beliefs.

Every human being, regardless of their stage of development or life circumstances, has value. Defending life means defending the human person and upholding the family. It is a call for society to become more attentive to the weak and to reach out to the most vulnerable, especially those whose voices cannot yet be heard.

This march is a sign of solidarity. First and foremost, it expresses solidarity with women who choose to give birth even in the most difficult circumstances, and with men who take responsibility not only for their child but also for the mother. It is also a sign of solidarity with the family which is the fullest expression of communion between man, woman, and child.

It is a call to build a society where no mother feels left alone, either during pregnancy or while raising her child. It is a call to build a society in which fathers find the strength and wisdom to walk the responsible path of parenthood with dignity. It is a call to cherish the human life that has been conceived, to create new ones, and to respect the families that raise children.

Not to judge, but to support. Not to impose solutions, but to help society freely choose what is good, with love, responsibility, and respect.

We believe that human life is not a problem to be „solved”, but a gift to be protected. Even if that gift does not see the light of day, life deserves our respect and a dignified goodbye.

So, this march is for everyone who believes that human life is worth protecting and respecting.

The draft law provides that in all cases abortion in Lithuania will be financed by the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund, regardless of whether the abortion is carried out for objective medical reasons (to protect a woman’s health and life, or to detect exceptional fetal abnormalities), or for „family planning” purposes that are not related to healthcare.

Pregnancy should not be viewed as a disease whose „treatment” (through abortion services) should be financed by the taxpayer-funded Compulsory Health Insurance Fund. Nor should abortion be promoted by the state as a proper, moral and just way of family planning.

Every year, thousands of human lives conceived in Lithuania are lost to abortion. This is a profound loss not only for the mother and father but for the entire nation. Each life that was conceived but never saw the light of day could have become a gift to our country such as a scientist, an inventor, a great doctor, or the father or mother of a large family. These unborn lives represent thousands of hands that could have helped build and shape a better Lithuania.

Children are the future of our homeland. The fact that fewer children are born in Lithuania than people die is also a threat to national security. Especially at this time, in the face of the threat of war. Such a threat is also mentioned in the National Security Strategy plan (p. 14.11), and improving the demographic situation is one of the objectives of the plan (p. 18.17).

Proponents of the law argue that it is a step towards modernity, gender equality and scientific progress. We argue that it is a step towards self-destruction, towards forgetting who we really are.

Lithuania’s strength has always been in the conscience of its citizens, in its historical memory, in its people, in its different generations. When our laws move away from humanity and responsibility and towards frivolity, when respect for life is replaced by expediency and calculation, we lose the basis for everything and, in the end, we lose ourselves.

Lithuanian law protects human life. Article 18 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania stipulates that human rights and freedoms are inherent. Article 19 of the Constitution states that the right to life is protected by law. The Law on the Protection of the Rights of the Child states: „<…> every child, both before and after birth, must be guaranteed the opportunity for healthy and normal development”.

Even international law, often considered the yardstick by which modern civilization is measured, reflects this truth. Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights states that everyone’s right to life is protected by law. The European Court of Human Rights has also affirmed that the right to abortion is not included in the right to private life protected by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Furthermore, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes that the child „shall be in need of special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection before as well as after birth”.

Hence both national and international jurisprudence confirm what we already know: the vulnerability of human life precedes its visibility.

Human rights begin at the moment of conception, when a new and unique human life comes into existence, resulting in a person who has never existed before and will never exist again in all of human history. This is based on science, ethics, morality, religion and culture. Life is not only a biological gift, but also a moral reality, worthy of our concern and special attention from the moment of conception.