Organ donation initiative expands across Kalyan Archdiocese

MUMBAI, Maharashtra (Indian Catholic News) — The Syro Malabar Archdiocese of Kalyan in western India is promoting organ donation through parish awareness programmes under Project Mruthunjai.

In a recent circular, Archbishop Sebastian Vaniyapurackal urged Catholics in his archdiocese to become “witnesses to Christian love and selfless service through organ donation,” saying more than 6,000 Catholics had expressed their willingness to donate their organs after death through the initiative.

Launched in 2013 as part of the archdiocese’s silver jubilee celebrations, Project Mruthunjai promotes organ donation as an expression of Christian love, generosity and fraternity. The initiative is implemented under the leadership of the Karunya Trust, the diocese’s social service wing.

“Organ donation affords us a magnificent opportunity to radiate the fresh light of life to our brethren who suffer from organ diseases,” Archbishop Vaniyapurackal wrote.

The circular, published in the latest issue of Kalyan Lantern, the archdiocesan bulletin, is addressed to priests, consecrated religious, and the faithful. Describing life as “God’s supreme and most precious gift,” it calls on Catholics to become instruments of life and hope for others both during their lives and after death.

Parish programmes and family guidance

To strengthen the initiative, a Project Mruthunjai Core Committee has been constituted with representatives from all foranes, or regional pastoral divisions, within the diocese.

Forane coordinators, working with parishes, will organise awareness programmes, guide families and help the faithful make deliberate decisions about organ donation. The activities are being conducted in cooperation with the Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre.

Archbishop Vaniyapurackal urged parish vicars to support the committee and coordinators and take the lead in organising awareness activities. He also encouraged Catholics to participate in the programmes and, after consulting their families in prayer, express their willingness to become organ donors.

Those interested in learning more or registering can approach their Project Mruthunjai forane coordinator or the Karunya Trust.

Church teaching on organ donation

The circular says the Catholic Church encourages organ donation when it respects human dignity, involves free and informed consent, and is conducted in a moral and lawful manner.

It cites Pope Leo XIV’s teaching that organ donation carried out under equitable, transparent and moral standards, without commercialising the human body, is “an extremely praiseworthy act.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2296, states: “Organ donation after death is a noble and meritorious act and is to be encouraged as an expression of generous solidarity”.

The archbishop also refers to Pope John Paul II’s description of organ donation as a “genuine act of love,” noting that Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis likewise taught that it is a testimony of charity, fraternity and self-sacrifice.

The circular concludes by describing the decision to donate organs after death as “a testament of faith that kindles the lamp of life for many” and praying for all organ donors, organ recipients, their families, and all those who labour for the care and protection of life.

Full statement available: original Malayalam and AI‑generated English translation.