Speeches March for Life “Every Person Matters” 2025 Bucharest

Mădălina Dragomir: “In the most difficult moments of violence against my mother, I was lucky that she didn’t want to abort me”

Hello everyone, and I will begin with the hope that at least one mother will be encouraged by my mother’s story !
My name is Mădălina, and I was born in Vaslui County, a region often criticized in the press, and many times rightly so… But fortunately, since Bishop Ignatie of Huși came, things have improved significantly, as the saying goes, “A good man makes a good place.”
My parents met, fell in love, and married at 18, and at 19, my mother became pregnant with me. It would have been wonderful if the story continued with “they lived happily ever after,” but sadly, that was not the case. My father was an alcoholic and very violent toward my mother. The worst episodes of domestic violence happened during her pregnancy… It’s horrifying to think about what my poor mom went through.
Here we have a pregnant woman in a very difficult situation. Were there people around who saw what was happening? Yes, there were. And what did they say, what solution did they offer her?
Here’s what they said:
“You won’t be able to live with him; how will you raise a child? You have nothing, no one. Who will take you with a child? Have an abortion, find yourself another man, and make yourself another child later.”
“Don’t you see how badly he’s beaten you? What could possibly be left of the baby in your womb? It will be born handicapped. How will you raise a handicapped child all your life? Abort it.”
“It’s not your sin, it’s his, for taking you, beating you, and not caring about you. Get an abortion; others have done it before.”
“You’re young. What do you want? To tie yourself down for life with a child that will keep you stuck to this madman? Get rid of the child and free yourself from him too.”
Nobody – absolutely nobody – told her that she could carry on with her life without aborting me!
And I would ask all those people back then, and all those who today tell a pregnant woman to have an abortion: “What had I done to my mother, me – the unborn child at the time? Did I wish harm upon her? I love her more than anything in the world! “
I was lucky that my mother never considered aborting me. I was lucky that she wanted and loved me from the very moment she found out she was pregnant. Only because of her unwavering decision am I alive today, when everyone around her pressured her to abort and no one supported her to give birth to me.
Now, I realize the hardest part was resisting the pressure and violence from my father. But my mother fought against him and everyone because she believed I would be her best friend and the support she needed in life.
Let me tell you more about my mom. She had 13 siblings; they grew up in great harsh conditions, with many struggles, and unfortunately, she never felt her own mother’s affection. That’s why she promised to give me everything she never had, and she fulfilled that promise entirely.
Although she got through that time, I deeply wish that my mom could have had the support of an organization like the ROUA Centers or other centers that exist today, which support pregnant women, including those pressured to have abortions. That way, she wouldn’t have felt so alone and lost.
To everyone’s surprise, I was born perfectly healthy!
God wanted me to come into this world to be my mom’s support. God protected both of us to be healthy. It’s an absolutely incredible blessing that I was born without any medical issues. My mom’s love and faith shielded me.
When I was 2 years old, my mom took me and a small bag of my clothes and left my dad because the violence, fights, and infidelity continued. She realized that environment was not a healthy place to raise a child emotionally or physically. She had nothing except her love for me and immense determination.
The years that followed were hard. My dad didn’t help us at all; he never even wished me a “Happy Birthday.” My mom had to work abroad and sacrifice so much while I was raised by different relatives. My mom always gave me the best she could, with and without time to spare. And, above all, she gave me her endlessly loving heart.
Today, I am 26 years old. I graduated from law school. My mom remarried a year ago to the most wonderful man, and everything is good. We enjoy life, we travel, and I can’t wait to start my own family.
It’s hard to put into words the enormous joy and gratitude I feel every single day for my mom, for giving me the chance to live and to be her daughter!
And both of us are deeply happy and grateful to God for everything.
I will conclude my heartfelt and honest testimony with endless thanks.
My mom’s love and God’s love helped me become who I am today – emotionally balanced, empathetic, and happy. The story of her life and mine show us that when no one else comes, God does. He never forgets us; He never abandons us. Even when times are very difficult, perseverance and prayer will always bring change.
May the Mother of God protect all mothers!
To mothers with babies in their wombs or in their arms, pray to God to grant you strength, inner peace, and the full experience of His love!

Cristina Vătășescu: “That day I told her: ‘Flori, you can do it, and I will help you overcome all the problems'”

My name is Cristina Vătășescu. My story began two years ago when I was at a medical clinic, and at the door there was a woman shouting, “Doctor, but you promised to perform the abortion. Come on, why are you late? I want to get rid of it!” At that moment, I thought about what to do. I went to the coffee machine, got two cups of cappuccino, and started talking to her. Through our conversation, she told me that she was carrying twins but couldn’t keep them because she had a very serious illness, HIV, which would be transmitted to the children, and she didn’t want to make them suffer as well.

It so happens that I have a twin sister, and I began to tell her, with emotion, about the extraordinary bond that exists between twins, how much love there is, how much affection. I helped her understand that she was carrying two babies, not two problems. We talked a lot, and then she went into the doctor’s office and told him she wanted to keep the babies. She faced many challenges during her pregnancy, but she gave birth to absolutely healthy children who do not have this health issue.

That day, I told her: “Flori, you can do it, and I will help you overcome all the problems.” She went home and told her husband: “I met a woman who told me I could do it, and I believe I can give birth.” These children are now two years old. Their mother calls them “my miracles.” They are gorgeous. The state provides a form of protection for children from families at risk of HIV, and the family has the necessary support to raise them. At that moment of crisis, the big question was: “How will they raise them?” But that problem was resolved, and the children are well and healthy.

As a result of this beautiful event, I decided, together with my friends, to establish the Association of Friends of Acts of Kindness, and we are trying to open a center for women at risk of abortion in Prahova County, in th             e village of Brătășanca, where my husband is a priest.

When I approached Flori, I didn’t talk to her about how abortion is a sin because I don’t think someone in such a situation should face even more pressure. I believe that in such moments, we must carefully choose the words we say. Words can tear down walls or throw people into despair. I thank Mrs. Alexandra Nadane, who helps me do wonderful things that I am learning here in Bucharest.

Nikolas Tirrier, a young man with Treacher Collins syndrome: “Life, even with setbacks and wounds, can bear fruit”

My name is Nikolas, I am Romanian, 25 years old, and I have been living in France since I was almost 3 years old.

Currently, I am a student in Montpellier, where I study education sciences and pedagogy specialized in adolescents at middle and high school levels. I am also actively involved in the national Orthodox youth association Nepsis, in France, as vice president of the Central Bureau.

As it is easy to notice, but perhaps you are unaware of the medical name, I have Franceschetti syndrome, also known as Treacher Collins syndrome.

It is a rare genetic condition that affects the development of facial bones and tissues. There are many forms and combinations, each of them unique. In my case, it involves visible differences in the cheekbones, ears, and jaw, as well as partial deafness, which is compensated by 90% with the help of a hearing aid.

This syndrome does not affect intelligence or other mental abilities. But, more importantly, the syndrome itself does not affect the soul.

It is true that my reactions and those of others towards how my face looks and towards the other effects of the syndrome can affect the soul, but this happens to every human being, regardless of their appearance, afflictions, or characteristics.

So, in summary, I can say that, over time, I have learned that this syndrome does not impact who I am in depth. And I believe this holds true for anyone who has a condition that makes them atypical.

I chose to speak today about the impact of Treacher Collins–Franceschetti syndrome to demystify the idea that it is a handicap to being human.

Through what I do, what I feel, and the people I work with, I have come to understand and continue to understand that this syndrome is neither a curse, nor a punishment, nor an identity in itself. It is part of my story, one that has taught me to look beyond appearances and to cultivate an inner strength directed toward God and others.

I was born in Romania, in Botoșani, and I arrived in France at the age of two and half. With the help of associations formed by specialized teachers, I learned the French language and followed a normal school course, despite my level of deafness being nearly 80–90%. They supported me from kindergarten to the end of high school.

However, in middle school, things became more challenging.

Adolescence is the time when others’ gazes become a mirror, sometimes an unforgiving one.

I was Romanian, I had a visible disability, I was the son of a priest. Here were three sufficient reasons to be marginalized!

At 14, surgical interventions were attempted to reconstruct my jaw.

In February 2015, when I was 15, my father passed away. It was a heavy blow for the whole family, and the schedule of interventions was halted. I gave up the idea of “correcting” my face. I began to accept it. That was the beginning of another path: the path of reconciliation with myself.

Then, an unexpected gift came in my way: a school exchange in New Zealand. There, for the first time, my peers didn’t look at me with pity. My difference didn’t scare them. I was simply their classmate. I came back transformed.

Since then, I continued my studies, lived for two years in Greece, deepened my faith, and my involvement in society. I returned to France and began a degree in applied modern languages, in English and Neo-Greek, in Montpellier.

Today, I am pursuing a master’s in education, after nearly ten years as an organizer and animator in summer camps for teenagers.

I am not sharing all this to flaunt my experiences, but to testify that life, even with obstacles and wounds, can bear fruit.

And sometimes, it is others who mirror back to us who we have become. I want to share with you some words recently written to me by a very dear friend:

“You, who have often been excluded due to your difference, have become the one who creates a group that excludes no one. Not the others. You. And I realize that thanks to you, I felt seen.”

These words moved me deeply. Because they express the essence: every life carries an inner beauty capable of transforming the world around it. Not despite the wounds, nor through the absence of struggles, but through them.

And that is why I am here today, at the March for Life. To affirm that every person matters, that every life deserves to be lived.

I am aware that many children diagnosed in utero with the syndrome I have are not allowed to be born. They become victims of what is called “therapeutic abortion”, noting that what happens to them is not healing, but the loss of life. Forgive me if it seems like I’m justifying my own existence, but my personal life experience – and I told you I’ve gone through much pain but also much joy – shows me that every conceived child deserves to be granted the right to be born and supported in life. I was born, I have been, and I am still supported today – I am infinitely grateful to those who gave me the opportunity to live and to understand that I am human like everyone else, even with these facial differences.

Therefore, I believe from the depths of my being that even a life considered too fragile, imperfect, or “accidental” deserves to be lived. Every life matters, and every person around it matters and can contribute with a loving gaze, free of judgment; and together, we can provide that person with space to exist and a voice to express themselves.

Olimpia Galiberti: “Life is an act of courage, not a political idea”

Hello Bucharest! Thank you for your welcome in this beautiful city and among all of you.

Today more than ever we feel like one people – Romania, Italy, and France – we represent the new European generations who believe in Nations that make LIFE the foundation of the wellbeing of peoples.

Together we are the heartbeat that will change History.

Do you believe it?

Dear Romanian friends, your History, your identity is still capable of determining the future of your Nation.

In your veins flows the inheritance of those who endured invasions, dictatorships, hunger, forced labor camps, exile. You are the ones who, in the midst of all this, never stopped believing, loving, and helping.

When the dictatorship tried to extinguish your freedom, Romanian families preserved the truth in the silence of their homes, in the education of their children, and even in faith.

This is the Romanian people. A people that does not forget what it means to resist for what truly matters: life, freedom, and the dignity of the human person.

You know, LIFE IS AN ACT OF COURAGE, NOT A POLITICAL IDEA.

It all starts with people like us who believe in the revolution of life and in a Romania:

Where a pregnant girl is never left alone.

Where a child, even when not perfect, is welcomed as a gift.

Where the State promotes and supports the family as a pillar of the common good.

These are not just things we tell each other, but realities that mark the identity of people, of families, and therefore of nations.

Many have fallen into the deception of abortion: freedom at the cost of death. But today we are here to say that Romania will no longer give in to this blackmail.

We want life! For everyone! Without conditions!

In the name of progressivism, there is an attempt to silence the voice of those who are not yet born, ignoring the fact that the greatest treasure of a nation is kept in the maternal womb.

In a world where it is still hard to hear the thunder of a new life being born, we are here today to say: we are the Romania that hears, we are the Europe that hears!

We hear the heartbeat of the child in the womb. We hear the pain of the mother alone. We feel the responsibility not to remain silent.

We are the ones who will not look the other way. The ones who resist with the strength of love.

Dear Romanian friends, it is you who have something to teach the rest of Europe. Not the other way around.

Your identity as resilient people makes you the most suitable to carry forward the torch of Life. And to do it in a new way.

If we look at the plans of this Europe, we see the risk of giving in to compromise: recognizing abortion as a fundamental European right.

And then our will shall matter very little.

And our freedom – and that of a baby in the womb – will echo very little.

A Europe that chooses death is not our Europe.

Today we have an advantage: claiming the right to life for everyone: from conception to natural death.

There are no middle roads when it comes to the most absolute right of all, the right to life.

Romania believed in human dignity even in the darkest times. This is your inheritance.

We will not allow that today, in the name of progress, the heart of who you are is lost.

Romania will not surrender. And it will resist with the only weapon capable of overcoming everything: love, help, respect, and dignity.

The hope of Romania is you. And do you know what the key is? Training.

– Train to be a countercultural voice in your school and university

– Train to speak up and take risks

– Train to be perhaps one against all

The student of a great coach once said:

– Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate.

– Our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

– It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We were born to make manifest the glory that is within us.

It is not just in some of us – it is in all of us.

If we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As soon as we free ourselves from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Look at yourselves, you are the new Romania.

This is your time to take the baton from those who came before you and run the mission of making a difference.

We are here to lay the new foundations for the Romania of Life:

– Freedom

– No compromise

– Inheritance for future generations

But starting today, you will begin to be coaches, trainers for your generation.

Propose laws.

Speak for the weakest.

Expose yourselves in your classes, universities, jobs, institutions.

Speak on social media.

Make yourself available with every talent you have to nourish this generation with a different food:

➡️ love for life and never abandoning anyone.

Romania needs you.

The coach is prepared:

He may not immediately see the fruits. He knows there are no easy roads. But that the only way to reach success is to play fairly and not stop.

Your “yes” will make a difference for this Country.

Be courageous coaches. Be an example.

You are not a sterile nation, but a Nation that resists with love.

Thank you, Bucharest!

Marie-Lys Pellissier: “We are aware of the urgency to restore to our countries love and respect for every human being”

Dear friends,
Dear pro-life of Romania!
THANK YOU! Thank you for being here today!
And thank you for inviting France to walk by your side.
As you know, our two countries share a long and beautiful history of friendship. But today, what brings us together is not a cultural event, a political alliance, or an economic partnership. No, it is something much greater. What binds us together today—Romania, Italy, and France—is the love for life.
If you are here, if we are here, it is because we know how urgent it is to restore in our countries the love and respect for every human life!
In France, we sadly count over 243,000 abortions in 2023; and this number keeps rising every year. We, the so-called country of human rights, hold the record for the highest number of abortions in the European Union, and this act is now enshrined in our Constitution. While this reality fills us with sorrow and anger, it is also a spur that pushes us to act—and never to give up.
Because yes, every life matters.
Dear friends, I might not have been with you today. Not because of a plane delay or a scheduling conflict! I might not have been here because, if I had had another mother than mine, I might have been aborted. My malformation often goes unnoticed, and yet, some mothers are afraid of it and choose abortion because of it. After I was born, my mother took me with her to visit a pregnant woman whose baby had the same condition and who was planning to have an abortion. And when she saw me, she decided to keep her baby! Isn’t that wonderful?
Every life counts, every life is unique—and each one of you is living proof of that. So let us give this chance to live!
In France, we have created a training camp for all young people who want to commit themselves to promoting respect for life. We encourage the creation of shelters for pregnant women in difficulty, listening centers, and all initiatives that support welcoming new life and accompanying vulnerable people. We are a generation that is rising, a generation full of hope, wanting to carry a message of truth, justice, and peace! Because, as Mother Teresa said, abortion is the greatest destroyer of peace. So if you want peace, defend life!
Jérôme Lejeune, the great French geneticist who discovered trisomy 21 and dedicated his life to defending and treating these little ones with disabilities, said:
“The task is immense, but so is hope.”
We too, like Jérôme Lejeune, must commit ourselves each according to our abilities and our personality. In Romania, you have a beautiful proverb:
“Where God has planted you, there you must bloom.”
So may each of us bloom where we are—in our families, in our jobs, in our schools, in our countries—and bear witness that life is worth protecting!

Roch Mautin: “In France, as in Romania, pro-life youth are mobilizing. We are here to offer an alternative, one of respect and support for pregnant women, families, the elderly and the sick”

Dear Romanian pro-life advocates,
It is an honor to be here in Bucharest, by your side, to stand for life. What a joy to see that beyond borders, thousands of people give their time and energy in the service of life and to make truth triumph. The French pro-life movement joins you in affirming that every life matters, every life deserves protection, every life is a gift.
In France, sadly, the culture of death is advancing rapidly. We have just added abortion in our Constitution, and now the government wants to legalize euthanasia. Too often, new laws weaken the value of life and silence those who dare to defend it.
And yet, a breath of hope is rising. In France as in Romania, young pro-life advocates are mobilizing. We are here to offer an alternative—one of respect and support for pregnant women, families, the elderly, and the sick. We are here to remind everyone that human dignity is not measured by usefulness or any other criteria, but that it is untouchable.
We march today because we refuse to give up. Because we believe in a future where life will be protected in our countries, in Europe, and around the world, through a beautiful family-centered policy. The truth will triumph.
Thank you, Romania, for your commitment. Thank you all for your courage. Together, let us continue to defend life—with truth, with hope, and with determination.
Long live life! Trăiască viața! (Tre-yas-ke vyat-sa!)

Alexandra Nadane: “How many parents end up in crisis and can’t find anyone to say, ‘I’m here for you? Every timely support can save a world”

Dear friends,

Last Sunday, during an event in the Month for Life, a young man named – let’s say – Andrew told me, “I have a testimony too, but I’ve never had the courage to share it until now.”

He shared how, a few years ago, a friend of his and his partner faced an unexpected pregnancy crisis. No one around them helped. On the contrary, they were encouraged to have an abortion. At that moment, Andrew simply said, “Abortion is not an option. I’ll help you.” And although he was ready to provide financial and logistical support, it wasn’t needed – because God opened all the doors. The child was born, and today the father often tells Andrew, “Andrew, this child is alive thanks to you!”

Two years later, Andrew himself faced an immense test. Doctors told him that his second child, still in the mother’s womb, lacked a cerebellum and should be aborted. Everyone was pressuring them, and his wife was overwhelmed, but Andrew said “We are keeping this child 100%. It’s God’s will”. And indeed, God worked a miracle : the child was born perfectly healthy.

This story reveals a simple and profound truth: every life matters. Every choice for life matters. And every support at the right time can save an entire world.

But how many “Andrews” are there in Romania? How many parents face a crisis and find no one to tell them, “I stand with you” ?

That is why, dear friends, we must understand that supporting life cannot remain at the level of personal reaction, opinion, or sentiment! We need institutional and professional pro-life involvement.

Here are the three essential directions for pro-life support, from both the state and society:

• Building Support Centers for women in pregnancy crisis, staffed with trained specialists who can provide counseling, medical, logistical, and emotional support exactly when needed.
• Raising awareness so that professionals in various fields – doctors, psychologists, social workers, priests, lawyers, teachers, therapists – can deeply understand the realities of a pregnancy crisis and develop their empathy, care, and support for pregnant women and their unborn children.
• Creating organizations and institutions that develop educational programs, provide information, and advocate for pro-life public policies, so that Romania is no longer a country where women in pregnancy crises are ignored, but rather a country where they receive support.

Today, as we take these steps together in the March for Life, let us not stop at the beautiful gesture of attending this event. Let us leave with the conviction that Romania needs a mature, professional, and committed pro-life movement that we can build together, one step at a time!

For every child to be loved.

For every woman to know she is not alone.

For every father to know he has support.

For every life to be lived to its fullest.

Teodora Diana Paul: “Science tells us that the probability of each of us existing is 1 in 400 trillion. It is almost a miracle that we are here”

I would like to begin my speech with a question:

Have you ever wondered “why do I exist? “

What if I told you that we almost didn’t exist?

The truth is, I don’t think we realize how precise and void of chance our existence truly is.

Science tells us that the probability of each of us existing, with our distinct, unique identity, is no more, no less than 1 in 400 trillion. In other words, it’s almost a miracle that we are here.

To illustrate this, let us picture the following scene: at the bottom of the ocean lives a tiny fish. From an unknown position, we randomly throw a lifesaver onto the ocean’s surface. What is the probability that this little fish swims to the surface and ends up inside that livesaver?

We might say zero, but it’s not exactly zero. It’s that extremely tiny number I mentioned earlier.

It’s the same probability for our existence.

I don’t know if that fish would make it, but here we are – we exist!

We exist exactly as we know ourselves to be, utterly unique. Nobody, at any time, anywhere is identical to us.

This uniqueness doesn’t start at 18 years old – adulthood, nor at 14 years old – when we get our ID card, and not even at birth – when we enter into population records.

No, our uniqueness begins at a moment previous to all others in our life. Our uniqueness starts and defines us from the moment of conception. From then on, our body has its unique DNA, a code that will never repeat in history. From that moment, we exist as a soul. From that moment, we start receiving things from outside of ourselves, which help us grow but do not change our identity.

In our mother’s womb, we are nourished; later, she feeds us at her breast; later on, we learn to feed ourselves. But at no point nourishment does turn us into human beings; it simply helps the human we already are to grow and develop. The same holds true for everything we receive from outside.

No one, at any time, can grow alone. No one, at any time, can defend himself alone against things that may halt their development. For this reason, no one, at any time, can survive alone.

The most powerful person on the planet, whoever may be, the most capable person in the world, whoever may be, needs other people in order to live.

This is a law of existence. We depend on others to grow, to be defended, to live.

Therefore, if we, the living, depend on others and others help us to live, why don’t we find it normal to pay this service forward? Why don’t we find it odd that we refuse this service to the most vulnerable among us, especially when this service was granted to us precisely at the moments we now withhold it from them?

An unborn child needs food, needs defense – just like each of us. Without these, they will die – just like each of us.

If selfishness is the reason why we do not provide unborn children the support they need for life, I’d argue that even stemming from this not-so-noble reason – selfishness – it would still make sense to provide them this support to continue their existence.

Yes, it is infinitely unjust to strip someone of their right to life by those who are alive only because others helped and continue to help them live.

But it is also infinitely unfair to all who will lose the chance to rejoice in their unique existence. Starting with their parents – and especially their mother.

It is unfair to all those who would have known them, those they would have interacted with, those they would have helped and those who would have been joyful by their presence.

Think about the people who have influenced our life: siblings, friends, teachers. What would it have been like if they had not existed?

Each individual matters uniquely.

Thus, why not choose to support life as others have chosen and still choose to support ours?

I tell myself, and I also tell you to have the courage to MATTER.

To have the LOVE to matter when it’s necessary. A word or a gesture can make the difference between life and losing life.

Every action counts.

Every word counts.

Every thought and every prayer counts.

I exist because I matter to others and, first and foremost, I matter to God. I exist because others matter to me.