London, 2 September 2023 — The Primus of the Old Roman Apostolate, His Grace ✠Jerome, joined thousands of pro-life supporters at the March for Life UK 2023, held in London on the 56th anniversary of the Royal Assent of the Abortion Act 1967.
The March brought together around 7,000 participants from across the United Kingdom, undeterred by widespread rail strikes on the day. Beginning at the Emmanuel Centre and culminating in Parliament Square, the event marked a solemn witness to the lives lost under Britain’s abortion regime, and renewed calls to defend the sanctity of every human life.
Reflecting on the significance of the day, His Grace ✠Jerome stated:
“It was a profound privilege to stand in Parliament Square, a place so symbolic of our national life, and mark the 56th anniversary of the Abortion Act. What was framed as a law of exceptions has, in practice, become an instrument of widespread destruction. Today, we prayed not only for the countless innocents lost, but also for the conversion of hearts and a renewal of compassion in our land.”
The 1967 Abortion Act, often misunderstood by the public, did not fully legalise abortion but created exemptions from prosecution under specific conditions. Yet, as the Primus observed, the law has since been stretched beyond recognition.
“Over 99% of abortions in Britain today do not reflect the narrow circumstances originally envisaged in the Act. This reality exposes both a legal fiction and a profound moral failure. The nation cannot remain silent when human life is so casually disregarded.”
Among the many encounters of the day, His Grace was particularly struck by the presence of three religious sisters from Spain, belonging to an order that cares for around 10 million Alzheimer’s and dementia patients worldwide. Together they prayed a decade of the Rosary in Parliament Square, and the sisters received a blessing ahead of their forthcoming vocations discernment day.
His Grace ✠Jerome was the only cleric present for the final hour of the vigil, a fact he described as both humbling and sobering:
“The cause of life requires visible witness from the Church’s shepherds. It is a matter of grave concern that so few clergy were present. Our people look to us to stand with them in prayer and truth, especially in the face of a culture of death.”
The Old Roman Apostolate reaffirms its commitment to defending the dignity of human life from conception to natural death, and to bearing public witness wherever it is most needed.
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