Kerala Church holds high–level conclave to discuss on family and education

Kochi, Nov. 11, 2004 – The Kerala Syro–Malabar Church held a ‘Chintan Baithak’ recently and drafted the broad outline of a master plan for its followers in an attempt to address and defeat the hazards posed by nuclear family culture.

Visibly alarmed by its declining strength, the Church leaders presented before the Assembly, held once every five years, several constructive recommendations relating to sex educations in schools and family planning.

Focusing on the twin themes of family and education, all the 34 bishops and representatives from the laity and clergy spread across the world, the highest–level consultative body of the leading Kerala Church, the Assembly, held a brainstorming session from Nov. 2–5 to identify the problems and resolve them.

''It was a session of self–examination in the face of challenges thrown up in the areas of family and education,” said Syro–Malabar synod spokesman Fr. Paul Thelakat. “Identifying the challenges and turning some of the crisis into opportunities was the main task of the Assembly.''

The working paper for the Assembly, prepared after a series of discussions and interactions for two years among the rank and the file, clearly observed that the number of Christians had come down considerably.

It also denounced the two–child norm as an unwelcoming practice which denied opportunity to develop 'social conscience' among children.

Though not advocating directly, the Church favored more children and cites Biblical and Canonical teachings, while specifically denouncing abortion and artificial family planning methods.