From Parish to Nation: CHARIS India’s five-year fight for life

By Agnel Maria – Bangalore, India

More than 5,000 participants gathered at Stella Maris College, Chennai on 9th August 2026 for India’s 5th National March for Life, an occasion whose significance extended well beyond the public assembly itself. At its core, the event reflected the sustained efforts of families, students, and lay volunteers who, over five years, had worked steadily within their own parishes, colleges, and communities to prevent the cause of the unborn, a task made more complex in a nation as religiously and culturally diverse as India.

A Movement Rooted in Communities

This underlying achievement was central to understanding this year’s march, hosted by the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore and organised by CHARIS India under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). What began as a single annual gathering had, over time, developed into a structured national network. For the first time, the Archdiocese established Pro-Life Cells in every parish, forming an organisational foundation of trained lay volunteers equipped to engage families on matters of life well before a crisis pregnancy might otherwise lead to abortion.

Laity Leading the Way

Young participants and elder faithful stand together bearing signs in English and Tamil, including “Choose Life!” and “கருக்கலைப்பு கொலையே” (Abortion is Murder). Photo: Seon Jose

Archbishop Francis Kalist, who had guided the March since its inception, was direct in acknowledging the origins of this movement’s strength. He noted that the initiative belonged fundamentally to the laity, explaining that it was families and lay volunteers who first brought these concerns to him, well in advance of the matter being formally raised at CBCI proceedings. This underscored an important reality: within India’s vast and decentralised Catholic community, meaningful change had tended to originate at the grassroots level rather than through institutional directive.

Protecting the Voiceless

Church leaders and dignitaries pause for a moment of reflection.. Photo: Seon Jose

Cardinal Antony Poola, President of the CBCI, articulated the day’s purpose in similarly grounded terms, describing the Church’s mission as one of safeguarding those unable to advocate for themselves, namely, unborn children at risk of abortion and elderly persons vulnerable to euthanasia. He urged dioceses and Catholic institutions across the country to ensure that their commitment translated into sustained action, cautioning against a future in which institutions remained while the people they were meant to serve were absent.

Eminent Church Leaders in Attendance

Bishops and dignitaries seated at the main gathering at the March. Photo: Seon Jose

The March was graced by the presence of several Church Leaders, whose participation underscored its national significance. Chief among them was His Eminence Cardinal Antony Poola, Archbishop of Hyderabad and President of the CBCI, who presided over the occasion as chief guest. He was joined by Most Rev. George Antonysamy, Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore and President of the Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council, whose Archdiocese hosted the event, and Most Rev. Francis Kalist, Archbishop of Pondicherry-Cuddalore, Episcopal Advisor to CHARIS India and CBCI Pro-Life In-charge, who had initiated the March five years ago.

The gathering also welcomed dignitaries beyond the Church hierarchy. Thiru J. C. D. Prabhakar, Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, lent his presence to the occasion, reflecting the March’s growing resonance beyond denominational lines. Dr. Paul Dhinakaran, main leader of Jesus Calls Ministry, was also present, signalling an ecumenical dimension to the day’s proceedings.

Their collective presence, drawn from the Church, the legislature, and allied Christian ministries, lent the March a breadth of representation that reflected its ambition: to speak for the unborn across denominational and institutional boundaries.

A Day of Witness and Remembrance

An aerial view captures the scale of participation as marchers assemble at Stella Maris College, Chennai. Photo: Seon Jose

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The day’s proceedings reflected this combination of public witness and personal engagement. Events included a five-kilometre Run for Life near Marina Beach, a Pro-Life Exhibition in which organisations such as Life For All, Eva Pro Life, and Saved Pearl Foundation engaged directly with students and families, and a Life Seminar attended by thousands of young participants ahead of the March itself. The occasion concluded with Holy Mass offered in memory of the children lost to abortion in India, providing participating families a formal moment of remembrance and renewed commitment.

Handover to Hyderabad

Before the event concluded, the National March for Life banner, along with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, was formally presented to representatives of the Archdiocese of Hyderabad and the Telugu Catholic Bishops’ Council, confirming that the 6th National March for Life would be held in Hyderabad on 8th and 9th August 2027.

For a nation marked by considerable cultural and religious diversity, the March’s organisers demonstrated, once again on 9th August 2026, a measured and incremental approach grounded not in uniformity but in sustained engagement at the level of parish, family, and individual conversation.