India: Catholic Church Urges Catholics To Have More Children

NEW DELHI -- Worried about its dwindling numbers, the Roman Catholic church in southern India is exhorting its flock to have more children, with some parishes offering free schooling, medical care and even cash bonuses for large families, church officials said Tuesday.

The strategy comes as India's population tops 1.2 billion, making it the second most populous country in the world after China, and runs counter to a national government policy of limiting family size.

But in the southern state of Kerala, where Catholics have long been a large, important minority, church authorities believe the state's overall Christian population could drop to 17 percent this year, down from 19.5 percent in 1991. While they don't have precise numbers for the Catholic population, they believe it is also dropping sharply.

"The Christian community in Kerala is dwindling. We realized that if the numbers decreased further, it would have a negative impact on the community," said Babu Joseph, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India in New Delhi.

Christianity is widely thought to have come to India in the year 52, when St. Thomas came to Kerala after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

What remains unsaid in Kerala is that the state's Muslim population grew by 1.7 percent between 1991 and 2001, while the Hindu and Christian populations have fallen.

Kerala, once a communist bastion and the state with the highest literacy rate, was about 56 percent Hindu, 19.5 percent Christian and 24 percent Muslim in the last census in 2001.

The church in Kerala is also incensed by a bill drafted by a government panel recommending a strict two-child policy to check population growth.

The bill – which is unlikely to become a law – suggests three months of imprisonment and a 10,000-rupee ($200) fine for couples with more than two children.

So Kerala's Catholic parishes have launched a variety of programs, from free education to free medical care, said the Rev. Jose Kottayil of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council. Most begin offering the benefits with the fifth child, but the church helps poorer families with fewer children.

The St. Vincent de Paul Forane Church, in the Kerala town of Kalpetta, is offering a bond of 10,000 rupees ($200) in the name of the fifth child. The money would be deposited in a bank until the child turns 18, church officials said.

A large number of church-sponsored groups in Kerala have begun campaigns with the slogan "A large family is a happy family."

Kottayil said the Catholic church plans to honor large families at a ceremony next month.

Comments

[offred]

11:41 PM on 11/01/2011

This is totally appalling and irresponsible. The church has crossed the line between helping families and encouraging large families. The more education a country's women get, the smaller the families they have and the greater a contribution the women make to the country's economy.

You'd think the government would step in and discourage such nonsense.

[WeRockLouisa]

09:02 PM on 11/01/2011

Great job looking at the big picture as usual Catholic Church, earth is over crowded and falling to pieces... I understand your running low on supporters because of your recent insane policies and ridiculous ways but really?

[Venise Alstergren]

01:02 AM on 10/23/2011

Well done, Catholic Church, congratulations, well done, fabulous. With a population of one billion people India just needs to ramp up its reproductive rate. India, go for it-two billion people by the year 2030.

Of course, I don't know where all those extra people will fit, but they'll have a lot of fun trying, wont they?

[charlesrfd2003]

11:52 AM on 10/20/2011

Expect a major split in the Roman Catholic Church soon which could be 10 years from now. One faction is at odds with other. Actions like this and news such as the 300,000 babies stolen and sold in Spain add to the discontent.

[John Di Saia]

10:44 AM on 10/20/2011

The Catholic church always welcomes more members and their money of course.

[chickenflu4]

01:37 AM on 10/20/2011

And they wonder why they are burned and killed!

[DoesItMatter]

08:03 PM on 10/14/2011

It is a myth that St.Thomas went to India.

[RTIII]

01:18 PM on 10/13/2011

Horrible.

The world doesn't have any problem that having fewer people wouldn't either solve or make a lot better. We collectively need to shrink world populations of humans, not increase them!

Christianity in general and Catholicism specifically, is / are shrinking world-wide because people are rejecting it, not because of low birthrates among its practitioners. Heck, the Catholics say it's a sin to use birth control!

Note also how Church policy is directly (directed) against secular policy. . . .

[dbrett480]

12:47 PM on 10/12/2011

I can't be the only person who thinks that the baby in the photo is super creepy.

[westcoastsc]

12:28 AM on 10/12/2011

Just another way the leaders of this world encourage the lowering of wages.

[Red Igor]

11:10 PM on 10/11/2011

Yeah, sure... good move.

The RCC is dying, and they keep doing strange things in order to keep their power.

[John Ramsey001]

11:01 PM on 10/13/2011

Do you know how many governments, kingdoms, empires have said the samething in the past 2000 years and guess which is still around?

[FaceTheTruth00]

10:34 PM on 10/11/2011

This is wrong. The last thing India needs is a larger population.

I don't understand the church's position on this. Who cares if Catholics or Christians are outnumbered by other religions, so long as everyone is allowed to practice their religion? It's not a contest to see who can get the most members.

[jerrymarc1]

05:07 PM on 10/12/2011

It is all about power and money - two things the Catholic Church has craved and killed for, for centuries.

[DoesItMatter]

10:51 PM on 10/12/2011

To the Church numbers mattered.

[SmallSuggestionsAdvocate]

10:25 PM on 10/11/2011

I see where the church is going with this, it's not good and even so I can see the whole picture. The catholic church like many other organized religions wants power, influence and many faithfuls- the problem is that many organized religions are currently promoting large families. In many ways I don't support this, but I can see how higher births due to religion can cause demographic disproportions. Similar to many countries in Europe- and much of the diverse history of the world. Overpopulation in some demographics can replace another. It's sad that people are so selfish when reproducing. Family sizes should have variation, but one needs to consider how much space is available for growth. The catholic church is scared of the competition, it's obvious.

[NevaforLeadership]

09:45 PM on 10/11/2011

Shame on the Roman Catholic Church!

[behavingbadly]

07:49 AM on 10/12/2011

Shame on all churches.

[Mondayboy]

07:50 PM on 10/11/2011

This is terrible advice. The adherents of the faith should not obey the church - this is a grab for power and a blatant denial of environmental devastation by virtue of overpopulation.