By Dave Andrusko
Newspapers over the weekend reported that 5,000 pro-lifers marched in downtown Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, behind banners that read “Children Bring Hope” and “Scrap the Abortion Law.” The event was the 17th annual March for Life and Family organized by the Pro-Life Movement Czech Republic (the Hnuti pro zivot CR), according to the Prague Monitor.
“The aim of the march is to draw attention to the continuing injustice that is being perpetrated on more than 20,000 children who are killed annually by abortion,” the Prague Monitor reported. “The March for Life gained the support of political, religious and public life personalities and several Czech and foreign organizations.” Among the attendees were Cardinal Dominik Duka, the Archbishop of Prague, and a number of Roman Catholic priests.
Beyond the march itself, the very encouraging news is there has been a dramatic decline in the number of abortions. In 1990, there were 111,268 abortions, according to the Czech Statistical Office (CSU). In 2016, the number was all the way down to 20,300.
“In 2016, 32 abortions were performed per 100 newborn children, while in 1996 it was 96 abortions per 100 newborns,” the Prague Monitor reported. “In 2016, two abortions were performed per 1,000 inhabitants, while in 1990 it was 11 abortions.”