Thousands of Italians braved the summer heat to participate in Rome's national Demonstration for Life on the afternoon of June 22.

The annual procession, themed "Let’s Choose Life," commenced at 2 p.m. in Rome’s Piazza della Repubblica, near the city’s Termini train station. The slow march proceeded nearly one mile down Via Nazionale before concluding at the ancient Imperial Forum, where a rally featuring speeches and musical performances took place.

In a message conveyed to organizers prior to the march, Pope Francis emphasized, "There is no compromise on human life!" He expressed gratitude to participants for their "commitment and public witness in defense of human life from conception to natural death," urging them to persevere "with courage despite every adversity."

"The stakes, namely the absolute dignity of human life, the gift of God the Creator, are too high to be the object of compromise or mediation," Francis wrote. He also encouraged families to demonstrate "the beauty of life and of the family that welcomes it," striving to construct "a society that rejects the culture of waste at every stage of existence: from the most fragile unborn child to the suffering elderly, passing through the victims of trafficking, slavery and every war."

Earlier this year, Massimo Gandolfini, a spokesperson for the annual anti-abortion protest, emphasized the organization's appeal to Italy’s political leaders to institute "structural public reforms to promote marriage among young couples, incentivize birth rates, and support parenting through family-friendly taxation and social services."