Catholic church moots ‘larger family’ concept

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Concerned over sharp fall in
the birth rate in Christian families, Catholic Church in the state has
initiated the concept of ‘larger families’ with three or more children.
The idea was mooted at a two-day meet of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council
(KCBC) earlier this week in Kochi and the matter would come up for detailed
discussion at its next meeting in August.

“The proposal was mooted by the Council’s Family Commission headed
by Bishop of Idukki Mathew Anikkuzhikkattil. The next meeting of KCBC
would discuss the concept in detail and work out an action plan for its
implementation at the diocesan level”, a KCBC spokesman told reporters.

The demographic assessemnt of KCBC was that in Kerala the Muslim families
alone were showing increase in children while the number of kids in both
the Hindu and Christian families had been falling sharply.

A grass-root level campaign based on the theme of “respect to life”
would be launched to popularise the concept. Ideas like giving certain
special support to families with three or more children in church-run
hospitals and educational institutions would also be considered, the spokesman
said.

“We are not bothered about the numbers alone. Respect to life is
a policy followed by the Catholic Church universally in tune with its
Pro-Life Ministry,” KCBC sources said.

A powerful Christian body, KCBC has its members bishops from Kerala’s
three main Catholic streams–Syro Malabar, Latin and Syro Malankara hierarchies.

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