SW News: Archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone, in a letter, invited the Catholics of his diocese to observe the “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children,” on January 22, to pray and to do penance for all the crimes done against the unborn.

According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 373, in all the dioceses of the United States of America,  January 22, is designated as a special day of prayer and penance called the ‘Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children’ for the “full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.”

Ever since the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, over 56 million abortions have been legally performed in the US. “The 1973 Roe v. Wade decision is a harsh marker of the ‘throwaway culture’ that Pope Francis decries,” stressed the archbishop. “On this day, we call on him particularly to remedy this great evil,” he said.

On January 22, the archbishop will be offering Mass at noon at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, which will be live streamed. The archdiocese has instructed the parishes to dedicate their noon Mass or regular weekday Mass for this special intention.

Following the noon Mass, there will be a free live webinar, “the Future of the Prolife Movement” at 1:30 pm PST. The esteemed panel of pro-life speakers at the webinar includes Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, founder and president of the Susan B. Anthony List, Marjorie Dannenfelser, ethicist and moral theologian, Dr. Charles Camosy and Brian Duggan, the executive director of Human Life Action.