A pro-abortion advocacy group last night projected campaign images supporting abortion onto the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC ahead of today’s March for Life. The projection took place as pro-life Catholics united in a show of support for the pro-life movement at the National Vigil for Life.
The Prayer Vigil was organised as one of the many public events taking place in conjunction with this year’s March for Life.
A large sign projected onto the Basilica read: “Pro-choice Catholics, you are not alone.”
So I’m outside the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in DC, and Catholics for Choice is here projecting messages onto the church in support of abortion rights.
The protest coincides with the basilica’s “prayer vigil for life,” happening inside. pic.twitter.com/0y1M7X9ByC
— Jack Jenkins (@jackmjenkins) January 20, 2022
Whilst there are usually some pro-abortion counter-protestors in attendance at the annual march – which commemorates the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalising abortion across the US – Thursday night’s display angered and upset many, especially Catholics, and was a markedly different protest than those usually seen at the annual event.
Commenting on the display, online Catholic news website Aleteia wrote: “What was different about this one was that it was spread across the front facade of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. And the basilica – the largest Catholic church in America – was filled with pro-life Catholics attending Mass and the National Prayer Vigil for Life.”
The message, which was spread across the front of the Basilica like a banner headline, was projected from a pedestrian island on Michigan Avenue by a small group representing the controversial pro-abortion advocacy group Catholics for Choice.
Another projection which was projected up and down to bell tower, proclaimed that: “1 in 4 abortion Patients is Catholic.” This sign alternated with others that read: “Stop stigmatizing, Start listening.”
A third projection featured a cross and simply spelt out in capital letters: “Pro-choice Catholics.”
The prominent display was first reported on Twitter by Religion News Service national reporter Jack Jenkins; the projections included the name Catholics for Choice. Spokesman for the group, John Becker, confirmed to Aleteia that “it was Catholics for Choice that carried that out.”
“We did it in tandem with the March for Life, because we felt it was important to put forward the truth that the majority of Catholics support abortion access and that the March for Life in DC gets a lot of media attention, but they don’t speak for us,” Becker told Aleteia.
He cited a January 2019 Pew Research article that said 64% of Catholic Democrats think that abortion should remain legal.
Becker told the Catholic news outlet that the group had a permit to use the pedestrian island across the street from the Basilica for the publicity stunt.
“So, we secured all the necessary paperwork with the city. It was all above board and we made sure we did everything by the book and respectfully,” he said of the hour-long protest.
However, the incident has sparked a furore. On social media, criticism of the PR move was rife. US Bishop of Tyler, Joseph Strickland, called the display “an atrocity,” and in a tone of marked disbelief, added he was praying it was a fake photo.
If this is real it is an atrocity. Support of murder projected on the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception??? I pray that it is a fake photo photoshopped for evil purposes. If it is real it is horrible & even faking it is evil. pic.twitter.com/C8LgRqXXLY
— Bishop J. Strickland (@BishStrickland) January 21, 2022
Adding to his comments today, the Bishop, still clearly impacted by the events of last night, tweeted: “Abortion is not just a Catholic issue, it is a humanity issue. Even if one has no faith in God they should know that Abortion is wrong because it attacks the very fabric of humanity.”
Abortion is not just a Catholic issue, it is a humanity issue. Even if one has no faith in God they should know that Abortion is wrong because it attacks the very fabric of humanity. For 100 years the evil of abortion has been embraced more & more, how humanity has suffered.
— Bishop J. Strickland (@BishStrickland) January 21, 2022
San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone was also in evident disagreement that the protest was conducted “respectfully.”
“The attempted desecration is enormous,” Cordileone said on Twitter. “Diabolical.”
The attempted desecration is enormous. Diabolical. Mother Mary, pray for them, now and at the hour of death. Amen. https://t.co/F89HCPnHUS
— Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone (@ArchCordileone) January 21, 2022
Others, commenting on the images of the projections on Twitter, agreed that the display was “sacrilegious” and “disrespectful.”
“This was a horrific idea,” one person wrote, adding: “…who on Earth thought this would do anything besides stoke antagonism and offense?”
Another user argued that “religions aren’t social clubs that modify their rules to fit your personal preferences.”
I’m not Catholic, but clearly you’re not either. Religions aren’t social clubs that modify their rules (doctrine) to fit your personal preferences.
— 🚨 RedHotFuzz 🚨 (@RedHotFuzz) January 21, 2022
Others said that the group had no right to use the Basilica as “a personal billboard.”
https://twitter.com/FrChenier/status/1484410894893436928?s=20
Others challenged Catholics for Choice by sharing quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which reads: “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception.”
https://twitter.com/BossCatholic/status/1484369215029067781?s=20
Jenkins of Catholics for Choice told Aleteia that the group was challenged by at least one man, who yelled out, “There is no such thing as a pro-choice Catholic,” and “pro-choice Catholics are going to Hell.”
In his short interview with Aleteia, Becker conceded that the Dobbs v. Jackson case at the Supreme Court, which poses a serious challenge to Roe v. Wade injected a sense of urgency into their protest.
“Like everyone else in the country, we’re certainly aware of and tracking the Dobbs case,” he said. “We’ve been in this fight for almost as long as Roe v. Wade has been the law of the land, so we’ve been engaged from the beginning and yes, the current judicial landscape adds an extra sense of urgency, but our message has been the same.”
He said a “small group of staff” carried out the projection, and it was intentionally kept small “because we wanted the message to speak for itself.”
The Basilica and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which co-sponsors the Prayer Vigil, have been contacted for comment by Aleteia.
At the beginning of the Prayer Vigil, Mass took place in the Basilica – while Catholics for Choice was projecting its message onto the outside of the building. In the homily, Archbishop William E. Lori spoke of abortion as a “tragic choice with lasting consequences” as he called on those in attendance to witness to love and to life in crisis pregnancy situations. He also stressed the need for compassion, and told those in attendance that the Church will never abandon those who have chosen abortion – but rather, seeks to bring “light, healing and hope” to those impacted by abortion.
“Abortion is a tragic choice with lasting consequences. What is needed in such a situation is a witness to love and to life…This evening, I would like to salute those who carry forth with such ministries.
“The Church does not give up on men and women who have chosen abortion,” Lori said. “The Church seeks to bring light, healing and hope; thus witnessing to the beauty of life, one woman and one child at a time,” he said.
The March for Life is set to take place today, Friday 21st January, in Washington DC, with 50,000 people expected to flood the US capital to call for the legal protection of life from conception to natural death and an overhaul of abortion laws across US states. Speakers addressing attendees include Fr. Mike Schmitz, the popular American Catholic priest, speaker, author and podcaster who is well-known for his podcast The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) which became the number-one ranked podcast overall on Apple Podcasts in 2001.
It comes as a pro-abortion organization in New York City is urging its supporters to show up at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan on Saturday to disrupt a Mass at 5 p.m. “Bring musical instruments/pots and pans,” says a notice on Twitter.