In April 2025, Prague once again witnessed the “March for Lie”… sorry “March for Life” – an annual public demonstration against abortion organised by the ultra-conservative Christian association Hnutí pro život (“Movement for Life”). The march was blocked by pro-choice counter-protesters and eventually dispersed by police. The march didn’t reach its final destination.
While it may seem like a marginal clash between worldviews, the broader implications are not to be underestimated, especially in a country where church-state separation is both constitutionally enshrined and constantly tested.
The Event Itself
The procession, with its symbolic white crosses and slogans such as “Let us protect life from conception”, was endorsed by several church authorities and attended by thousands. Blocking actions by feminist and pro-choice activists disrupted the route and caused media attention. Police intervened and partially cleared the way, though the march didn’t make it to its planned endpoint.
This isn’t the first time the march faced public resistance. But each time, the political reach of its organisers seems to grow.
Hnutí pro život, the main organiser, is more than a moralist protest group. It is an activist lobbying force with clear political ambitions. Their efforts aim not just at public persuasion, but at changing laws in a country that has allowed safe, legal abortion for decades.
They are proposing changes to Czech reproductive laws, while promoting abstinence-only education and challenging comprehensive sex education, and spreading emotionally manipulative and medically questionable narratives about abortion.
In a secular, evidence-oriented society, such actions should raise concern.
The Larger Context – Catholic Privilege in a Secular State
The recent reaffirmation by Czech President Petr Pavel that “the Catholic Church should not have privileged status” reflects a wider unease. He referred to the long-disputed Concordat – a bilateral treaty with the Vatican signed in 2002 but still unsigned by the president. If passed, it would grant the Church a special influence – a move seen by many as incompatible with democratic secularism. We wrote about it here.
This concern is not abstract. In 2023, the Church lobbied against anti-discrimination amendments in family law. Religious groups attempted to halt IVF treatments for single women. And of course, the March for Life continues as a flagship spectacle for those pushing for a theologically inspired redefinition of civil rights.
The Czech Republic – historically one of the most secular countries in Europe – must remain vigilant. The presence of religious lobbyists in public policy spaces, particularly those seeking to limit reproductive freedom, should be scrutinised, not normalised.
Conclusion – Vigilance, Not Complacency
The “March for Life” may appear like a fringe event. But its symbolism and strategic backing point to a larger cultural campaign. As secular citizens, skeptics, and critical thinkers, we must ask: Whose values are shaping our laws? Whose voice is heard when morality is legislated? And is the Czech Republic truly secular, or just passively so?
Let’s make sure that freedom of religion doesn’t silently become freedom of religious rule.
Sources: https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/domaci/pochod-pro-zivot-zablokovali-odpurci-akce-360430 https://www.seznamzpravy.cz/clanek/domaci-zivot-v-cesku-pochod-pro-zivot-v-praze-zablokovali-odpurci-do-cile-nedorazil-275141 https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/2665851 https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/privilegovane-postaveni-katolicke-cirkve-smlouva-s-vatikanem-podle-pavla-neni-v_2505071734_kce
