New Delhi: CHARIS, a pro-life group, under the aegis of Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) youth ministry of the Catholic Bishops Council of India (CBCI), is organising a national March For Life on August 10 (Thursday) 2023 in Pune.
This year, Pune Diocese is hosting the event. The day begins with an ‘Exhibition for Life’ at St. Patrick’s Cathedral Hall from 10 am to 12 pm. Thereafter, a public gathering will be conducted from 2.30 pm with eminent leaders of the Church and other Christian and Non-Christian denominations addressing an expected audience of 2000 people. Oswald Cardinal Gracias will flag off the ‘March for Life’ and as the crowd marches, a delegation will head to the Pune Collectorate to submit a written memorandum in favour of the rights of the unborn.
Last year, CHARIS India organized the first-ever national March for Life on the 10th of August 2022 in New Delhi, which had the support of the former CBCI President, His Eminence Oswald Cardinal Gracias.
A study conducted by the Guttmacher Institute found out that more than 15.6 million Abortions happen in India on a yearly basis. Still, the country is far behind when it comes to the awareness and knowledge pertaining to abortion and it is still considered a sensitive topic, which is not being debated regularly by the media or the local political intellects of the country.
India is slowly opening up to the issue of abortion and there have been many initiatives and steps taken by local pro-life leaders who travel around the country to various church parishes, schools and seminaries creating awareness and dedicatedly spread the Gospel of Life.
Last year, the organisers decided to take a bold step to create a greater impact in the country by launching the First March for Life India 2022, in the 51st year of legalizing abortion in the country. The march saw hundreds of people joining hands together to fight for the common cause of protecting Life from ‘Conception till Birth’.
The highlight of this year’s Pro-Life March is to see people and leaders from different Christian denominations and different faiths coming together as one voice uniting to protect the sanctity of life right from ‘Conception till natural death’.
The event is helmed under the guidance of Most Rev Francis Kalist, Archbishop of Pondicherry-Cuddalore and Episcopal Advisor to the CCR in India, Chevalier Cyril John, Member, CHARIS International, Mr Silven Miranda, Coordinator CNSC and Mr Ajin Joseph, National Coordinator of YU4C.
You can visit the website for details https://marchforlife.ccrindia.in