Rally for Life Belfast. Photo: Mak Marketing Agency. 
At noon Mass in St Malachy’s Church, Bishop Eamon Martin remarked, “Our presence here in Belfast today will touch the hearts of many people…we thank God for the tremendous witness by so many of you – both to the preciousness and sacred nature of human life.”
Bishop Kevin Doran’s en pointe homily asked, “How is it then that…people have found excuses to deny the fundamental rights of others, on the basis of their colour, their sex, their ability or disability, or simply because they live in their mother’s womb, awaiting birth?”
He continued, “Human dignity is not given to us by the state, or by our parents. Neither the state, nor our parents, nor anybody else can take it away. It is inalienable – it should never depend on who you are!”
“It has to be a cause of concern for us that most of those who promote abortion on this island, and most of those who choose it are Christians,” Bishop Doran stated and referred to the cause of the original fall in Genesis, “because they were arrogant enough to think that they knew better than God what was good for them. Perhaps we are not so different.”
As the closing hymn’s lyrics, “We are the feet of Christ” took life, the church spilled onto the streets towards the dome of Belfast’s civil authority at City Hall.
Bishop Eamon Martin’s prayer “that our words will be powerful, respectful, courageous and strong” took form.
Rally
The crowd heard from high-profile political, Christian and pro-life speakers including Aontú deputy leader Gemma Brolly; DUP city councillor Dean McCullough; TUV deputy leader Ron McDowell; and Causeway Coast and Glens councillor Margaret Anne McKillop, who resigned on principle from the SDLP over the party’s pro-abortion stance.
“Without the right to life all other rights are meaningless” was the mantra that underpinned the elaborate event which was serious, challenging, cheerful, colourful – all in equal measure.
Planned a year in advance, providentially the rally coincided with recent threats to life throughout Ireland. Bernadette Smyth from Precious Life and others urged Belfast City Council to abandon new by-laws which “hamper the work of pro-life information stands and street preachers”, warning that, “If this can happen in Belfast it can happen anywhere.”
In June 2026, the Dáil passed a bill introduced by the opposition party Sinn Féin to completely remove the mandatory three-day waiting period for an abortion.
Life Institute warned that the removal of the 3-day waiting period “could sharply drive up already soaring abortion numbers”, claiming that the change in the law “could lead to an additional 2,000 abortions per year.”
Niamh Uí Bhriain explained, “We increasingly see even those who voted ‘Yes to Repeal’ say that the massive increase in abortion numbers cause them disquiet, and high profile commentators recently say that they only voted to remove the 8th because they were told there would be restrictions such as the 3-day wait which gives women pause.”
‘We believe there’s always a better answer to abortion,’ Catherine, a volunteer, explains”
“Why would we not want women to have time to reflect on such a huge decision?” she said. “Why rush women when abortion has such a tragically irreversible outcome? We could be looking at a jump of 2,000 in the number of abortions annually. Who in their right mind would want that?”
Courageous pro-life advocate, Claire Brennan shared with me how since 2023 she has faced court battles following the “imposition of laws forbidding me to pray silently outside abortion centres as I had been doing since 2021.”
Pro-life witness continues through Stanton Pregnancy Care in Belfast. “We are seeing many lives being saved because women are being offered real life-affirming choices, and hope. We practically, emotionally and also financially support women if they need it. We believe there’s always a better answer to abortion,” Catherine, a volunteer, explains.
Bro. Patrick Crowley, who travelled with his father seven hours from West Cork, said his long journey was “nothing compared to the pain I see working with people who go through with abortions…seeing a girl crying and in bits facing the pain following abortion.”
“Jesus lay down his life for us because He saw what that would do for us.” Bro. Patrick reminded us while Rally attendee, Rose, highlighted the hope-filled healing work that Jesus brings through Rachel’s Vineyard who “help anyone who finds themselves in the trauma of a post abortion situation.”
Synergy
Merging with the throng was, for me, where the synergy surfaced. Reformed Presbyterian Theo Dixon from Portadown shared that “God created each person in His Own Image and each person from conception needs to be protected.”
Michael Tierney from Roscrea pointed out, “We all could be doing something else, but we need to stand out of our comfort zones for life – that’s why we’re here. It can only be good when you’re standing for the most defenceless of society.”
Singer-songwriter Gerry Flanagan, who wrote ‘This is My Life’, lamented, “Some on the dark side are aware of the evil of abortion, but many were fooled into believing it was ‘healthcare’. They’re sick when they realise what it entails.” Claire Brennan reiterated that good people were “bombarded and manipulated by a narrative focusing only on extremely rare hard cases while silencing the voices of women who had embraced life-affirming choices with no regrets.” Claire is currently working with a London law firm, doctors and others to “offer progesterone as a safe, effective over-the-counter remedy to abortion pills.”
As Bishop Kevin Doran preached, we are “far too dependent on a very small number of people and on very limited resources. I believe we can do much more and that would lend credibility to our rejection of abortion as a solution to any human problem.”
There’s a challenge in that for us all.
