Participants in this year's March for Life, marking the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, seemed less bothered by the mainstream media's lack of coverage of the estimated half-million people descending on Washington, D.C. to demonstrate against abortion on Friday. That's because they relied heavily on social media to help shine the spotlight on the movement.

Outside the march, supporters of the pro-life movement were not deterred either. Pope Benedict XVI gave a shout-out on Twitter in nine languages. "I join all those marching for life from afar, and pray that political leaders will protect the unborn and promote a culture of life," Benedict tweeted. The Pope has 2.5 million followers on Twitter in just six-week time since he began using the social media heavyweight.

"We have the biggest social media movement online for the pro-life movement educating almost a million people a week with the truth about human life and abortion," Lila Rose of Action Network, a pro-life investigative journalism group, told Fox News. "Our Facebook at over 430,000 is bigger than Planned Parenthood's Facebook and they're a billion dollar abortion chain." more >>

Renewed fears of large-scale violence in Egypt for today's second anniversary of the uprising that helped oust long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak were realized when Egyptian security forces fired tear gas and protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails during a day-long demonstration Thursday. Christian leaders inside and outside the country are calling for prayers.

Prominent politicians, writers and society figures have been urging Egyptians to go back to the streets to demonstrate rejection of the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists, according to Open Doors USA sources inside Egypt.

A Christian leader, who regularly blogs from Egypt and remains anonymous for security reasons, says he sees "a split nation overflowing with too much frustration and anger, with hardly any positive or promising political or social development. The economy is a disaster, with our local currency's value diving deep down into the unknown." more >>

A Catholic hospital has successfully defended itself against a wrongful death lawsuit by claiming that a fetus is not the same as a person, which critics have said goes against Roman Catholic Church doctrine.

The long-standing case began in 2006 with the death of a seven-months pregnant woman, who was brought into St. Thomas More Hospital in Canon City, Colo., on New Year's Day because she was vomiting and had shortness of breath, The Colorado Independent reported. Within the hour, 31-year-old Lori Stodghill was dead, having suffered a massive heart attack.

Her husband, Jeremy Stodghill, who drove her to the hospital, argued that the on-call obstetrician who was supposed to assist his wife, never arrived at the hospital. more >>

Actress Jenn Gotzon, who made her Hollywood breakthrough in the film "Frost/Nixon" portraying the president's daughter, Tricia Nixon, is in Washington, D.C., this week to help present two screenings of the movie "Doonby." The screenings of the mystery film with an underlying message about life's choices are intentionally timed to coincide with the March for Life and the 40th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade case.

Gotzon spoke to The Christian Post on Wednesday about "Doonby" and the subject of abortion from her perspective as a Christian and an actress with a leading role in the movie.

Both free film showings, at the Landmark E Street Cinema Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, and at (Marriott) Residence Inn Friday at 4 p.m. ET, are sponsored by NET TV, a new television station broadcasting "uplifting movies" through Verizon Fios Video on Demand in over 18 cities nationwide. "Doonby" is planned for wide release in April. more >>

The Obama administration's record in cases litigated so far involving the contraceptive mandate is at 10 losses and only four wins, according to Alliance Defending Freedom, which released a "scorecard" of the more than 40 cases so far over the Health and Human Services requiring employers, including religious organizations, to provide insurance that cover contraception, sterilization and some abortifacient drugs.

"Americans should be free to honor God and abide by their consciences at work, home, and church," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. "Washington politicians can't confine our faith to the four walls of our homes and churches alone. Honoring God is important every day, in all areas of life, including in our work. The Obama administration's attacks on faith and business prove that it doesn't respect either one."

ADF and allied attorneys filed a motion for an emergency injunction last Friday following a notice of appeal filed in a lawsuit challenging the abortion pill mandate on behalf of Grote Industries, based in Indiana. The emergency motion in Grote Industries v. Sebelius seeks to suspend the mandate against the Catholic-owned auto lighting manufacturer while its appeal of a district court decision goes forward. more >>

The "Weekend of Prayer To End Slavery and Trafficking," which kicks off Friday and goes to Sunday, hopes to mobilize prayers and awareness in America to end modern-day slavery and human trafficking.

Tim Gratz, director of Keys Coalition and a vice chair of the Weekend of Prayer, told The Christian Post that this annual multiday event had in its roots in previous smaller scale efforts. "Tomas Lares of Orlando, Fla., had a national prayer event last year but on a much smaller level last year," said Gratz. "Two local anti-trafficking groups, one from Maryland and one from Key West, associated with him and soon added several other anti-trafficking leaders from several other states who formed the leadership task force."

Gratz also told CP about the many things that can be done and needs to be done in order to end modern human trafficking. "First, foremost, we need God's guidance and counsel. Effective legislation is important. So is reducing demand, and there is a well-established link between pornography and the demand for commercial sex," he said. more >>