40,000 pro-lifers gathered in Košice, Slovakia on Sunday 22 September 2024 to witness at the National March for Life with the theme “Love is pro-life.” "If we love someone, we want them to be protected”, said event organiser Patrik Daniška. Košice is close to the Ukrainian border.

The Slovakian March for Life was meticulously and professionally organized with intensive mobilization and preparation. The event has been run by the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Slovakia, in collaboration with the entire Slovakian pro-life movement as an apolitical event. In previous years the crowd has been between 50,000 to 80,000 participants making it by far the largest European March for Life.

Around 800 volunteers help to make the march a reality. National marches for life took place in Košice in 2013, and in 2015 and 2019 in Bratislava. Given the population of Slovakia is only 5.5 million, if a similar proportion of people attended the USA march for life there would be several million in attendance.

Representatives of Churches spoke at the event. Archbishop of Košice Mons. Bernard Bober said that unborn children cannot defend themselves, therefore they need our protection. "However, caring for the child is automatically linked to caring for the mother. If we take care of it, we will also give a chance to a new life. Therefore, let's not forget about concrete help for women and families in need," emphasized Archbishop Bober.

The participants were greeted by Pope Francis, who delivered a message via the Nuncio saying, “Pope Francis is marching with you today! Let it be a march of joy and enthusiasm, let it be a true march for life. Let it be a march of hope. Always be supporters of life. Life is God's gift. Always be proud and ready to protect life. Receive a hug full of peace and hope from Pope Francis."

Robert Colquhoun, Director of International Campaigns for 40 Days for Life, delivered a message saying that nothing is more amazing than seeing a life saved from abortion, thanks to your prayers and outreach, and our vision must be to live in an abortion free society. Emmet Dooley, Education and Outreach Manager for SPUC reminisced how he told his 10 year old son the reality of abortion through a message of hope and that the March should happen every year.

A post abortive theme was heard from representatives of Project Rachel. Daniela Obšajsníková said that post abortion syndrome was real. The Children’s commissioner Jozef Mikloško also spoke, saying that he feels he is a commissioner for all children, born and unborn and said that children need adequate legal protection, both before and after birth.

Martin Hudáček, the author of the world-famous sculpture Monument to Unborn Children, also spoke at the march. The author wanted to make a statue of hope and healing to post-abortive women suffering from pain and regret and the project has touched hearts around the world.

The statue, present at the March, portrays a suffering mother in stone, grieving with her face buried in her hands. She is approached by her aborted baby, depicted in a young child’s transparent form. The child is reaching to touch the woman’s head as a tender gesture of healing and forgiveness. The monument has been praised for how it shows pain, sorrow and regret by women who have had abortions.

Abortion is legal in Slovakia up to 12 weeks. In 2020, a bill that would have tightened the abortion law was defeated in Parliament by 59 votes to 58. In 2022 there were 5,891 abortions in Slovakia. Abortions have been declining in Slovakia for years.





40 Days for Life this autumn is happening for the 7th time in Bratislava and Presov, outside hospitals. Local leader Martina Bednáriková first got involved with 40 Days for Life after reading the book Unplanned. Her witness has helped to save babies from abortion, as she is still in touch with the mothers who are extremely grateful that she encouraged them to keep their babies when they were considering abortion. 

Overall this stunning event was a textbook display of how to professionally mobilize a National March for Life with a public manifestation of love for unborn children.