The International Day of the Unborn Child is celebrated on March 25th to call for respect for human life from conception. The celebration originated in 1993 in El Salvador as a “Day of the Freedom to Be Conceived,” later being reestablished in 1998 as the “Day of the Unborn” by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, in Argentina. The celebration of the unborn rapidly grew after its first year. “In 2003, the first Provida International Congress in Madrid with representation from over 20 countries in Europe and the Americas institutionalized March 25th as International Day of Life” according to Priests for Life.
The Day of the Unborn Child was intentionally chosen to be on March 25th. March 25th marks nine months before the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. This is when Jesus was conceived within Mary, “this is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18).
Although The Day of the Unborn Child has not been declared by any official Church or government in the United States, it still is widely recognized across the world. Priests for Life notes that it is recognized in “Argentina, Guatemala, Chile, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Panama, Peru, Slovakia, Cuba, Austria, Philippines, Romania and more.” Regardless of any official declaration in the United States, many pro-life organizations are promoting the observance of the Day of the Unborn Child, including Priests for Life, Anglicans for Life, Abortion Survivors Network, Florida Right to Life, and LifeNews.com, to name a few.
The abortion debate continuously grows in America, now more so than ever with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization being announced this year. This Supreme Court case could overturn the Roe v. Wade decision made in 1973, which has resulted in more than 60 million abortions in the United States. With this coming up it is only appropriate that a coalition of pro-life organizations in America are observing the Day of the Unborn Child. These organizations, along with California Family Council, are asking citizens to reflect, honor, and pray for the unborn. California Family Council, notes that “each person is responsible for defending the sanctity of life. This is the greatest battle of this generation, and silence is not an option we can afford. Let’s continue to show up and speak out against the horrors of abortion and the corruption of Planned Parenthood. Please pray that Californians recognize and uphold the dignity of the unborn.”
