Thousands gather for fifth National March for Life in southeast India
Thousands gathered in the city of Chennai in southeast India on Aug. 8–9 for the country’s fifth National March for Life, bringing together Catholic bishops, clergy, religious, families, young people, and pro-life advocates for two days of prayer, formation, and public witness to the dignity of human life.
Organized by CHARIS India and hosted by the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore, the event featured Catholic leaders including Cardinal Anthony Poola, archbishop of Hyderabad and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.
JCD Prabhakar, speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, opened the event. According to march organizers, he is the first Indian politician to publicly express his commitment to the protection and promotion of human life. At the march, he unveiled a memorial dedicated to unborn children. India’s National March for Life has previously been held in Delhi (2022), Pune (2023), Thrissur (2024), and Bengaluru (2025).
UK bishop urges prime minister to push for Jimmy Lai’s release
Auxiliary Bishop James Curry of Westminster, England, has written a letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging him to do everything possible to secure the release of jailed China democracy activist Jimmy Lai.
“Jimmy Lai’s ‘crime’ was to voice concerns, engage in peaceful protest, and publish a newspaper which was critical of oppressive new laws,” Curry said, expressing concern that Lai “has no access to the sacraments” and about his deteriorating health conditions.
“Around 200,000 migrants have come to the U.K. from Hong Kong since 2020, many of whom are Catholic. The Church in England and Wales continues to provide pastoral support to all those from Hong Kong who seek it,” he said. “I also offer my prayers for those who are persecuted because of their faith or political beliefs throughout the world. I ask Catholics in England and Wales to join with me in seeking the intercession of St. Maximilian Kolbe for Jimmy Lai, and in seeking the intercession of St. Alban and St. Frances Cabrini for all those who have had to leave their own country because of persecution.”
Lebanon’s general amnesty law raises concern among Christians
Lebanon’s Parliament approved a sweeping general amnesty law on Aug. 12, drawing support from a majority of lawmakers, including representatives of Christian parties.
The vote came shortly after the country abolished the death penalty, but the amnesty has proved far more divisive, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Aug. 11.
Critics, particularly within Christian circles, fear the release of large numbers of prisoners without adequate rehabilitation programs could deepen Lebanon’s security problems. They argue that the measure does little to address overcrowded prisons, prolonged pretrial detention, slow judicial proceedings, or the rights of victims.
The law also permits some Lebanese who fled to Israel after 2000 to return, provided they did not participate in military or security activities. Lebanese activist Maryam Younes, who was deported to Israel, rejected the measure as inadequate, saying returnees could not be certain of their safety from Hezbollah.
Young Russian Catholics gather to discuss Christianity in a digital world
Around 80 young Russian Catholics participated in the 24th annual Catholic Youth Meeting in the Diocese of St. Joseph in Irkutsk, Siberia, the largest geographical diocese in the world.
Participants in the program, titled “Nets of Jesus: Towards Dull Presence,” included young people from Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Transbaikalia, and Buryatia, Vatican News reported Aug. 10.
The Aug. 6–9 event included reflections on the parable of the good Samaritan, discussions on remaining Christian in a digital age, and discussions of their experiences and plans for future projects at their respective parishes. Participants were also guided in a daily spiritual reflection centered on young saints of the Church, including St. Carlo Acutis.
Ireland’s Mayo Gaelic football team carries trophy to Croagh Patrick in thanksgiving
Footballers from the All Ireland winning Mayo Gaelic football team carried the Sam Maguire cup to the summit of Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s holy mountain, in thanksgiving. They won a historic All Ireland match on July 26, breaking the legend of a 75-year curse by a parish priest placed on the last Mayo team that won for disrespecting a funeral procession during homecoming celebrations.
Mayo won their all Ireland Championship on Reek Sunday, traditionally a day of pilgrimage in the western county, when thousands of Catholics climb the mountain, many barefooted.
The group of Mayo players led by manager Andy Moran and captain Jack Coyne brought the famous trophy to the summit, where there is a small oratory. There they greeted other pilgrims and said a prayer of thanksgiving for their victory.
Kidnappings heighten anxiety among Syrian Christians
A series of reported kidnappings involving Syrian Christians has renewed concern over security in the region.
The cases include the abduction of a deacon near Homs and the disappearance of a young Christian man in Saidnaya, ACI MENA reported Aug. 11.
Elias Khazal, a farmer and deacon at the Syriac Orthodox Church of St. George in Zaidal, was seized by masked gunmen while working about two miles north of his village. His captors held him for 41 days near Tall Manin, between Damascus and Saidnaya, and demanded a ransom of $ 1 million. Father Hamid Masouh of Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic Church said security forces eventually raided the building where Khazal was being held. They freed him without a ransom payment and arrested members of the gang. Although the deacon endured several forms of torture, he returned home in good physical condition.
In Saidnaya, local sources reported that armed men abducted jeweler Fadi Samaan after entering a parking area in vehicles without license plates and opening fire. His fate remains unknown.
Mauritius religious leaders pledge united action against drug abuse
Leaders from several religious communities across Mauritius expressed their commitment to closer collaboration in confronting the country’s growing drug crisis in a meeting at Bishop Jean Michaël Durhône’s residence in the Diocese of Port-Louis.
At the Aug. 11 meeting, Durhône emphasized the importance of the family, which he described as “the foundation of society,” and called on Mauritians not to lose hope, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Aug. 12. “We are not giving up,” he said, inviting the different religious communities to pool “their experiences, programs, and strengths.”
In a statement issued after the meeting, participants described the drug situation as “alarming,” noting that drugs, particularly “synthetic drugs,” are affecting all sectors of Mauritian society, with young people becoming increasingly involved.
“Families, both rich and poor, are directly affected, while communities are facing a growing deterioration of their social fabric,” the religious leaders said in their statement.
Roman pilgrims prepare to return to the Holy Land
After months of suspended pilgrimages because of war in the Middle East, the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, the Diocese of Rome’s pilgrimage office, is preparing to return to the Holy Land. Its first trip is scheduled to depart Monday, Aug. 17.
Father Giovanni Biallo, the organization’s spiritual assistant, told ACI MENA on Aug. 13 that preparations resumed after fighting between Lebanon and the Galilee region ceased and direct flights between Rome and the Holy Land began returning during the past two months. He said European pilgrims have been slower to return than groups from Asia and Latin America, partly because of widespread fears about instability across the region.
The priest welcomed the resumption as a sign of solidarity with local Christian communities whose livelihoods have been devastated. In Bethlehem alone, he said, 100 hotels had been closed and are now waiting for pilgrims to return.
Kevin Mario and Patrick J. Passmore contributed to this report.
