Pro Life Club Takes on Annual March for Life

On January 18th, eight USF students will be making a trip to the nation’s capital Washington D.C., to participate in the annual “March for Life.” This march is held in protest of the legality of abortion in various locations across the USA, occurring around the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling. This year, the University of St. Francis theology and philosophy department is hosting a trip for Pro Life Club members to take part in this day of activism. Those participating are: Maggie Klebenow, Michael Nickel, Victoria Bravo, Madelyn Barrett, Joe Considine, Clayton Yde, Caleb Campbell and Lauren Wozniak.

Catholic, and particularly Franciscan Universities, actively participate in rallies like this every year across the nation. The Catholic church feels very strongly about abortion, finding it to be an unforgivable sin which is punishable by excommunication. Franciscanmedia.org explains this, stating “Canon 1398 reads ‘A person who procures a completed abortion incurs a "latae sententia excommunication”', the term “latae sententia” here is equivalent to “automatic"... The canon refers to the person who will have the abortion and those who are directly assisting at it."

USF students have embarked on this trip to Washington D.C. for several years now and will be in the company of many like-minded Christians. Professor Tim Weldon, the Pro-Life Club faculty advisor calls this event “an exceptional expression of one’s faith and political activism” urging students to “congratulate [these] students for their courage and faith journey.” For those looking to attend more locally, cities such as Chicago and Indianapolis are hosting their own rallies that same week. For more information and to get involved with the USF Pro Life Club you can attend one of their biweekly meetings Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the University of St. Francis.