The Everyone’s Birthday Foundation organized a pro-life walk in Budapest on September 21. The organization was supported by the Good that You Are! Life Advocates Association, Together for Life Association, Aquinas St. Thomas Public Affairs Association, and the AXIOMA Center. Their intention was to showcase Hungary’s pro-life face with the gathered celebratory crowd.
“The future of the world does not depend on how well we understand it, but on how much we respect life.” (Albert Schweitzer) Nobel Peace Prize-winning physician
Birthdays are a great celebration for both families and individuals because it’s the moment they finally meet the baby developing in the womb. Fetuses need protection for their lives, as 21,200 of them do not make it to their birthdays every year.
The “Everyone’s Birthday” walk brought together nearly three thousand people who celebrated together in downtown Budapest.
The procession gathered at Elizabeth Square. Before departure, Gabor Szemke, the main organizer, András Csókay, the internationally renowned neurosurgeon, and Béla Teleki, the Hungarian coordinator of Citizen Go, all spoke. The event was hosted by presenter Bence Takács.
The celebratory crowd crossed the Chain Bridge, passed by the Castle Garden Bazaar, and arrived at Tabán.
Gabor Szemke, the main organizer, greeted Zsuzsa Görgey, who had organized pro-life walks under the title “Walk for Life” for over 10 years and then passed the baton to the team of the Everyone’s Birthday Foundation.
Among the speakers was Andrea Földi Kovács, a television personality, director of the AXIOMA Center, and one of the event’s patrons.
In her testimony, resident doctor Boróka Móczár spoke unexpectedly about her child and the anxiety that pushed her towards abortion as a pro-life advocate. In the end, she chose life. Her son, Ágoston, was also present at the event and was warmly welcomed by the participants.
Ágnes Dékány, a obstetrician-gynecologist, spoke about the role of doctors, which is crucial during pregnancy, especially during unexpected pregnancies when the mother is fearful and sees no way out.
Poet János Lackfi emphasized the irreplaceability of fathers, stating, “Although in many cases we can’t do anything, everything happens differently when we are present. This is the most important position where no one can substitute for us, fathers.”
After the speeches, a family ensemble took the stage: Emese Sisák, Enikő, Sára, and Nimród sang the song “Happy Birthday!” together.
Silvia Agárdi, a blind singer, arrived as the closing act, expressing gratitude for her mother for not only bearing her but raising her in a way that made her happy. She sang songs, including Kati Kovács’ “I Would Like to Thank You.”
Among the celebratory crowd was a baby whose mother had been pressured by doctors to have an abortion due to suspected developmental abnormalities. Today, the little girl is a beautiful, healthy baby. There was also a couple with a newly adopted baby in a stroller. Parents raising disabled children, as well as intellectually and physically disabled children and young adults, also made a statement that their lives can be valuable and happy if their families and society unconditionally accept them.
Among the participants were also those who had previously chosen abortion but later realized the true weight of their decision. They can attest that abortion is not a solution but a duplication of an existing crisis. One of them stated, “I experienced my abortion as violence, which the doctors carried out against my child at my request. I already felt then that maybe it wasn’t a good idea, but there was no one to stop me. I will never get rid of the memory of it, but now I try to protect other mothers from this. I work for the unborn children.”
The event was attended by Fülöp Kocsis, Greek Catholic Archbishop-Metropolitan, and Zsolt Marton, Bishop of Vác, who coordinates the Life Advocates Working Group with the staff of the Family Office. Bishop Zsolt Marton launched the National Life Advocates’ Conference in 2021, which is scheduled to take place in Szeged on November 23 after Vác, Kaposvár, and Székesfehérvár.
