By Jessy Joseph

New Delhi, Aug 11, 2022: The first national march for life heard a former Supreme Court judge urging bishops and Catholic religious congregations to lead the way to preserve life from conception to death.

Justice Kurian Joseph, a former Supreme Court judge, suggested that the bishop of a diocese officiate the baptism of every third child born in a Catholic family.

He was addressing the participants of the August 10 march, organized first time in the Indian capital to mark the 51st anniversary of India legalizing abortion.

Justice Joseph also called upon bishops and religious superiors to provide free education to every third child in Catholic institutions. He wondered if the Catholic Church could fund those seeking recanalization and make available Delhi’s Holy Family Hospital for such treatments. “Can we provide safe accommodation to unwanted pregnant women in our institution?” he asked. “I would be happy to be part of such an institution,’’ he added.

Around 150 representatives from eight Catholic dioceses and four major pro-life organizations from various parts of the country joined the march at Jantar Mandir, a downtown popular venue for campaigns and protests.

Charis India, the official body of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service in the country, organized the march in collaboration with Delhi Catholic Charismatic Service of Communion.

Auxiliary Bishop Deepak Valerian Tauro of Delhi, while welcoming the marchers, said Catholics have an obligation towards humanity just like they care for family, society, state, and the country. “We have a life, so we are sitting here. We are celebrating our life. All are not lucky as we are, so we are standing here on their behalf to support them,” said the prelate, who is the chairman of the archdiocese’s pro-life commission.

To protect life is the moral duty of the Catholics, he asserted and added, “So let us become aware of our sacred obligation and duty to uphold the dignity of human life no matter how small it is.’’ He called upon the participants to uphold the value of human life now and in days to come.

Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate Sister Paulina Melite, Charis India secretary, told the gathering that “life is sacred from the very moment of conception as it possesses an unviable reliability.’’

Quoting Saint Mother Teresa, she said human right is not a privilege to be accorded by the government, but something humans carry because of their mere humanity.

“We are created in the image and likeness of God and so it is not conditioned upon any government to give us these rights. We possess these rights with our very own existence and from the moment of conception and life is precious at every stage this is what we want to proclaim loud and clear today,” she said.

The nun also observed the march was historic as people are raising their voices for life from various parts of the country. “It is high time we have come together and raised voices because the cause is that important,” she added.

The marchers were told that on August 10, 1971, India legalized abortion through the Medical Termination of Pregnancy. Under the original Act 1971, abortion is legal up to 20 weeks gestation, but this was increased to 24 weeks by an act of Parliament in 2021.

According to a recent study, India murders 15.6 million preborn babies every year through abortion.

Aksha Maria, a youth participant from Delhi told Matters India, ‘We will continue our effort for the protection of life and human dignity- including the unborn.’’

Archbishop Kuriakose Bharanikulangara of Faridabad in his felicitation address congratulated Charis India for organizing the first national pro-life march and urged the participants to become defenders of human life and dignity. “Babies from the state of embryos should be protected and respected, God has not given authority to any government or person to kill or terminate them,” he asserted.

After the march in Jantar Mantar, the participants gathered in the campus of Sacred Heart Cathedral where a Eucharistic procession was organized with Jericho March Prayer, a prayer walk by a group or congregation to pray for or against something and ask God to intercede, protect, or change something.

Many Jericho Marches have been prayed throughout the United States against abortion or against gang activity in a declining neighborhood.

The New Delhi program ended with Mass offered for all aborted babies.