Bishop Larry Silva speaks for the 2021 March for LIfe in a recorded segment broadcast on KALO TV in front of the fireplace at St. Stephen Diocesan Center. (HCH photo | Anna Weaver)
By Anna Weaver
Hawaii Catholic Herald
While this year’s March for Life couldn’t take place in person, the COVID-19 pandemic did offer a way for a potential greater number of people to participate in the annual pro-life event.
That’s thanks to a prerecorded two-hour show produced by Christian television station KALO TV that streamed online and was also broadcast on TV on Jan. 22.
While the event was organized by Hawaii Life Alliance, the state’s leading pro-life non-profit organization, the majority of the broadcast’s speakers ended up being Catholic, including Bishop Larry Silva, who was filmed in front of a roaring fire in the Great Room at St. Stephen Diocesan Center.
The bishop talked about how to best engage with those that don’t share pro-life or anti-abortion beliefs.
“[Pro-choice people] see themselves as pro-woman and lifting up women from the kinds of discrimination and oppression that has kept them down for so many … centuries,” Bishop Silva said. “I think in respecting them and discerning the spirit, we need to realize that they are trying to be noble. They are misguided because there is life at stake, but they’re trying to be noble.”
“That doesn’t mean that we compromise our principles, but it does mean that we approach people differently, with a different kind of attitude and respect.”
Bishop Silva encouraged pro-life activists to not have tunnel vision only on abortion but also to “move this issue forward to really have people be more respectful of life in all its stages” including care for the poor and opposition to capital punishment and physician-assisted suicide.
In addition, he had a special message to pro-life women, asking them to be more articulate for the pro-life cause.
Besides Bishop Silva’s talk, other Catholics who spoke were Deacon Gary and Valerie Streff, co-directors of the diocesan pro-life office and Susan Duffy of the Pearson Foundation.
Damien Memorial School student Arimathea Bennett shared how she helped revive the Students for Life chapter at her Catholic school.
Vivian Aiona, a Catholic and wife of former Hawaii Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona, implored women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant not to drink alcohol. She also talked about how being a grandparent has brought her and Duke Aiona so much joy.
Speaker Eva Andrade, director of the Hawaii Catholic Conference, explained what the legalization of physician-assisted suicide in this state has meant and called for more regulation of the current law. Joe Picon of the local 40 Days for Life movement talked as well.
Other local speakers included Pastor Waxer Tipton of One Love Ministries, who gave an opening prayer. Tiana Elisara of Turning Point USA talked about how she switched from being pro-choice to pro-life. Jim and Janet Hochberg spoke, Jim about religious freedom issues and Janet about her own life experience after having an abortion as a teen. And Pastor David Tamala talked about supporting those with special needs.
Interwoven throughout the documentary were national Knights of Columbus segments and narration from KALO TV.
While a physical march didn’t take place this year, local members of the Knights of Columbus informally carried banners around the Hawaii State Capitol building earlier in the week.
