Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization called on the Filipino faithful to participate in this year’s “Walk for Life” event on Saturday, February 18, from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.
“This is not just walking, but this is a journey for life because life is an important gift from God for us,” said Cardinal Tagle in Filipino over Radio Veritas 846.
“We hope that in our journey in history, we will not waste (life) and we will always protect this gift of life,” added the cardinal.
Archbishop Charles Brown, papal nuncio to the Philippines, also stressed the importance of the activity, describing it as an “opportunity” for the Filipino faithful “to show your conviction that human life is sacred and the threats to the right to life of all human beings from the moment of conception until natural death should be resisted.”
This year’s “Walk for Life” carries the theme “SANAOL” or “Synodality, Accompaniment, and Nearness” and “Let’s All Walk Together for Life,” which is also taken from the call of Pope Francis for synodality.
This year’s event will be the first physical “Walk for Life” since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.
The walk will start at the Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City going to the University of Santo Tomas grandstand, where a program and a Holy Mass will be held.
“Our spirit of upholding life has never wavered even during the pandemic,” said Raymond Daniel Cruz, Jr., president of the Council of the Laity of the Philippines, organizer of the event.
“We have even become more deeply aware of the sacredness of life and continuously pray and work immensely to preserve and keep it safe,” he said.
“In our modern society, the varying issues in life are urgent and we need to constantly express to everyone our uncompromising stand on the importance and sacredness of life,” Cruz added.
Laiko’s Walk for Life was first held in 2017 and has since become a yearly event to defend the “culture of life” against the “culture of death.”
