The march attracted hundreds of thousands of people

The 42nd annual March For Life took place in Washington D.C. on Thursday . The march began with Benediction led by Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky.

The march attracted hundreds of thousands of people who were addressed by Congressman Chris Smith, March for Life President Jeanne Monahan Mancini and Congresswoman Kathy McMorris-Rogers, who is the head of the House Down syndrome caucus and mother of a son with Down's Syndrome.

Pope Francis sent a message via Twitter to show his support for the march - "Every life is a gift. #MarchForLife". [22 January, LifeSiteNews]

Other stories:

• First speech by Head of Russian Orthodox Church in Duma calls on MPs to campaign against abortion
• House of Representatives passes bill to ban state funding for abortion
• China has the most serious gender imbalance in the world [21 January, The Irish Times]
• Bill banning abortion after 20 weeks fails in the House of Representatives [22 January, The Federalist]
• Methodist human rights lobbyist mocks March For Life [23 January, First Things]