Rudolf Voderholzer, Bishop of Regensburg; his auxiliary Josef Graf; and Gregor Maria Hanke, Bishop Emeritus of Eichstätt, have confirmed they will personally take part in the Berlin event.
Other prelates, including Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, Archbishop of Cologne, have sent messages of support for the demonstrations, which will be held simultaneously in both cities to defend the dignity of human life from conception and to address issues such as abortion, assisted suicide, surrogacy, and non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT).
The event is organized by the Bundesverband Lebensrecht (BVL), the Federal Association for the Right to Life.
The gatherings will begin at 1:00 p.m. at Washingtonplatz, next to Berlin’s central station, and at Neumarkt in Cologne, and are expected to conclude around 4:30 p.m.
Three bishops will attend the Berlin march
Among the prelates who have confirmed their presence is Rudolf Voderholzer, Bishop of Regensburg and a regular participant in German pro-life mobilizations.
Voderholzer reserves every third Saturday in September to take part in the Berlin March for Life and also attends the pro-life event in Munich. The bishop has explained his presence as part of his public responsibility to defend those who cannot defend themselves.
“I consider it my civic duty: to give a voice to those who do not yet have a voice or can no longer have one,” he stated.
Also traveling to Berlin is the auxiliary bishop of Regensburg, Josef Graf. They will be joined by Gregor Maria Hanke, Bishop Emeritus of Eichstätt, who will participate alongside Protestant pastor Albrecht Weißbach in a prayer to impart a blessing on the participants.
The Bundesverband Lebensrecht has highlighted the presence of the three prelates as a sign of ecclesial support for the defense of the right to life and the bioethical issues raised by the mobilization.
Woelki calls for a society “in which every person is welcome”
Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, Archbishop of Cologne, has backed the event with a message addressed to the participants. The cardinal highlighted the work of pro-life organizations in promoting a “culture of life, of care, and of concrete assistance” and stressed that defending the unborn must go hand in hand with support for women and families facing difficult situations.
“Their purpose is not to condemn women and families in need, but to offer them perspectives and support,” Woelki stated.
The Archbishop of Cologne extends this defense to the end of life and calls for the sick and dying not to be marginalized or made to feel they are a burden, but rather to find “dignity, closeness, and care until their last breath.”
For Woelki, participation in the marches constitutes a public testimony “against indifference and in favor of a society in which every person is welcome.”
The cardinal hopes the mobilizations will send a signal to politics, society, and Christian communities alike.
“The humanity of a society” toward the most vulnerable
Auxiliary Bishop of Münster Stefan Zekorn has also sent a message of support in which he recalls “the inviolable dignity of every human being” and thanks those who will take part in the March for Life for their public defense of those in situations of greater vulnerability.
Zekorn maintains that “the humanity of a society” is especially evident in the treatment given to the unborn, the sick, people with disabilities, and the dying.
Alfred Rottler, diocesan administrator of Eichstätt, has also backed the mobilization and warned about the erosion of the right to life.
In his view, progressively questioning this fundamental right ultimately affects the very foundations of democracy. The organizers have also received messages from representatives of Protestant and Orthodox communities.
Abortion, assisted suicide, surrogacy, and prenatal diagnosis
The March for Life has been held in Berlin for more than two decades. Since 2023, Cologne has been added as a second venue, with both demonstrations taking place simultaneously.
This year’s event is being held amid various bioethical debates in Germany. The BVL specifically mentions among them abortion and the counseling system for conflict pregnancies, assisted suicide, surrogacy, and non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT).
In the 2025 edition, the organizers estimated joint participation at nearly 7,000 people, approximately 4,000 in Berlin and 3,000 in Cologne.
To facilitate attendance this year, buses have been organized from various points in Germany to both cities. In Berlin, the day will also begin with a requiem for the unborn at 10:00 a.m. at the Church of St. Mary of Behnitz in Berlin-Spandau, according to the program published by the organizers.
Both marches will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 19, under the principle with which the Bundesverband Lebensrecht presents the event: “The right to life is a human right”.