{"id":3665,"date":"2026-02-07T18:30:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T18:30:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/3665\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T18:30:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T18:30:30","slug":"march-for-life-in-vilnius-lithuania-draws-thousands-inspires-support-for-pro-life-cause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/3665\/","title":{"rendered":"March for life\u202fin Vilnius, Lithuania, draws\u202fthousands, inspires\u202fsupport\u202ffor pro-life\u202fcause"},"content":{"rendered":"

The heart of Lithuania\u2019s capital came alive with music, speeches, and powerful personal stories\u00a0as thousands gathered on Saturday for the \u201c\u017dygis u\u017e gyvyb\u0119\u201d<\/a> (\u201cMarch for Life\u201d), an event dedicated to celebrating the sanctity of life and raising awareness about the necessity of its protection.<\/p>\n

The march drew participants from across Lithuania as well as from neighboring countries including Latvia, Estonia, and Poland.<\/p>\n

\"Cloudinary<\/p>\n

Participants march along Gediminas Avenue toward Vilnius Cathedral Square at the March for Life in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Oct. 4, 2025. Credit: Erlendas Bart<\/p>\n

The event on Oct. 4 began in the early afternoon near the Martynas Ma\u017evydas National Library, drawing a diverse crowd of families, students, activists, artists, and clergy. Promoted by a range of civil and religious organizations, the march focused on affirming the value of every human life.<\/p>\n

Religious figures outside of Lithuania vocalized support of the initiative, including Latvian Catholic Archbishop Zbig\u0146evs Stankevi\u010ds of Riga and Latvian Lutheran Bishop Rinalds Grants, both of whom expressed solidarity with the march\u2019s aims. Auxiliary Bishop Saulius Bu\u017eauskas of Kaunas, Lithuania, participated in the march in person.<\/p>\n

Attendees gathered near the Lithuanian National Library for the event\u2019s opening ceremony, where speakers shared insights from personal, medical, social, and philosophical perspectives. Among them was Dr. Lina \u0160ulcien\u0117, who highlighted the moral and spiritual need for a more compassionate society.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe depths of our conscience cry out for a path other than the culture of death,\u201d she said. \u201cOur inner humanity calls for a culture of life, one marked by solidarity, genuine compassion, and sensitivity to human beings, respecting their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Agnieszka Gracz, coordinator of pro-life marches for Poland\u2019s Centrum \u017bycia i Rodziny<\/a>\u202f(Centre for Life and Family), also addressed the crowd. The Warsaw-based organization has been active for over two decades, advocating for the protection of life, family, and parenthood.<\/p>\n

Gracz noted that before the COVID-19 pandemic, the center helped organize an average of 150 marches annually across Polish cities. She spoke about how these public demonstrations have played a key role in promoting the protection of unborn children, particularly those with disabilities. She highlighted that the marches have helped build public support leading up to Poland\u2019s 2020 Constitutional Court ruling, which strengthened legal protections for children diagnosed with disabilities before birth.<\/p>\n

After the opening event, the crowd set off in a peaceful procession from the National Library to Vilnius Cathedral Square via Gediminas Avenue, carrying banners and flags with messages of hope and support for families. A commemorative concert and a series of personal testimonies followed.<\/p>\n

Among the highlights of the event was a national drawing contest for\u00a0schoolchildren titled\u201cA\u0161 esu dovana\u201d (\u201cI Am a Gift\u201d). More than 300 submissions were received from across the country. The winning artists were\u00a0presented awards onstage for their creative reflections on the value of life.<\/p>\n

The musical program included performances by\u00a0well-known artists such as Voldemars Peterson, Dalia and Julius Vaicenavi\u010diai, and popular singer Sasha Song. Performances were accompanied by the personal testimonies of individuals whose lives have been shaped by issues surrounding life and family. International speakers from Latvia and Estonia also addressed the crowd, offering cultural and moral perspectives from across the Baltic region.<\/p>\n

\"Cloudinary<\/p>\n

Singer Sasha Song performs onstage at Cathedral Square in Vilnius, Lithuania, with various pro-life nongovernmental organization tents visible in the background, at the March for Life, Oct. 4, 2025. Credit: Erlendas Bart<\/p>\n

Among the speakers at Cathedral Square was lawyer and social activist Dr. Salom\u0117ja Fernandez Montojo, who addressed prevailing societal attitudes toward parenthood, stating: \u201cToday, I see how deeply rooted is the idea that having children means losing \u2014 losing money, time, career, opportunities, and a good figure. I disagree. Having children is not losing but giving meaning to money, time, energy, opportunities, and beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Markus J\u00e4rvi, editor-in-chief of Estonia\u2019s Objektiiv <\/a>and one of the speakers, expressed his appreciation for the Vilnius march and the hope that it would inspire similar initiatives throughout the Baltic states.<\/p>\n

Speaking afterward in an interview, he described the limited public discourse on abortion in Estonia as a lingering consequence of the Soviet era, during which abortion was legal and widely practiced. Over time the prevalence of the procedure contributed to its emergence as a social taboo.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite this, many Estonians value marriage and family life,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to break the societal silence on this matter in order to have honest conversations about life.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that both civil society and religious institutions have a role to play in fostering more open and thoughtful dialogue on the issue. In a message directed at young people, he noted that \u201cthe sanctity of life and its reverence must be recognized as truth. Search, and you will find it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professor Benas Ulevi\u010dius, dean of the faculty of Catholic theology at Vytautas Magnus University, spoke at the event and later in a brief backstage interview reflected on shifting societal values in post-Soviet Lithuania.<\/p>\n

\u201cLithuania during the Soviet occupation was quite isolated,\u201d he said. \u201cAfter winning independence, the nation went through gradual changes, with more foreign products available, higher salaries, and greater comfort.\u201d<\/p>\n

While acknowledging the benefits of economic growth, he noted that it led to people prioritizing careers and wealth over family life and suggested that this shift left some with a sense of emptiness. He encouraged young adults to seek deeper fulfillment through family, which offers a unique kind of joy and happiness that material success alone cannot provide.<\/p>\n

Alongside the main stage program, Cathedral Square hosted a family-friendly educational and creative zone where visitors were invited to explore nongovernmental organization booths, sign petitions, take part in children\u2019s activities, and learn about family support services offered by various participating organizations such as Nacionalin\u0117 \u0161eim\u0173 ir t\u0117v\u0173 asociacija<\/a> (National Association of Families and Parents), ProLife Vilnius<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n

The event culminated in a special Mass in Vilnius Cathedral celebrated by Father Deividas Stankevi\u010dius.<\/p>\n

Organizers and participants expressed optimism that the March for Life in Vilnius will continue to grow in both size and impact. With increasing collaboration between civil, religious, and cultural voices, many said they see this year\u2019s march as a turning point, one that may inspire broader conversations about life, family, and the future of society in Lithuania and across the Baltics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The heart of Lithuania\u2019s capital came alive with music, speeches, and powerful personal stories\u00a0as thousands gathered on Saturday…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3666,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[93],"tags":[3801,3800,171,3484,3799,170],"class_list":{"0":"post-3665","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-vilnius","8":"tag-baltic-states","9":"tag-catholic-news","10":"tag-lithuania","11":"tag-march-for-life","12":"tag-pro-life","13":"tag-vilnius"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3665"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3665\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}