Low birth rate of Catholics in Kerala concerns Church

Catholics of Kerala are facing a real danger that they will become practically extinct in a few generations because of their two or less child birthrate, the Catholic Church has expressed.

Although Kerala has the highest number of Christians of any Indian state they are still an approximately 20–25 percent minority compared to Kerala's Hindus and Muslims, but an influential minority. That is because they have long been the most educated of Kerala's and India's citizens. Notably, because of the Church mass education efforts this was the first Indian state to achieve near 100 percent literacy.

The Church in Kerala has existed since A.D. 52 when the Apostle St. Thomas landed on its shores. That is something the Syro Malabar eastern rite Catholics and the Orthodox Christians, who both date themselves back to St. Thomas, hold very dear. There are approximately 3.5 million Syro Malabar Catholics, 2 million Latin Catholics (300 years in Kerala) and perhaps 1 1/2 million non–Catholic Christians in the state. All appear to be fervent and active.

Despite the above, one cannot help note a disturbing contradiction: fervent Christians, but only one or two child families, and most commonly a boy and a girl in each family.

Christian couples here, along with the Hindus, now clearly exclude God and their Church from having any role in determining the number or even sex of their children. New life has strict conditions attached to it. They are practicing not only contraception and sterilization but, in order to achieve the one boy, one girl norm among Hindus and Christians, abortions are being widely practiced.

Catholic Church leaders are alarmed and practically resigned to what they see as the inevitable near disappearance of their flocks in India as a result of this demographic trend. They worry about the rapid rise of Islam because of the far higher Muslim birthrate. Kerala's priests and bishops do not know what to do. They say they have preached from the pulpits on this but it has not had any effect.

Voicing serious concern, Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil, the Major Archbishop of the Syro Malabar Church, said, "There should be responsible corelation between procreation of children and their upbringing. But today the tendency to avoid having children is on the increase among couples, who are motivated by selfishness to seek their own enjoyment."

According to Cardinal Vithayathil, in at least 25 countries of Europe, sufficient number of children to maintain the present level of population are not born. In 2004 there was one person out of five who could not work. But by 2050, latest figures indicate the number of persons who would be unable to work will be shockingly more – one person out of two – that is, half the population, he said.

"There is sin and injustice to society behind the decision of not having children by those parents who have the means and normal health. Children who have received normal life should become parents by imparting life," he suggested.

Expressing concern at the dissolving of marriages on flimsy grounds and pre–marital relationships, the Cardinal said, "All these destroy the very foundation of family life and its flavour."

"[They need to] lead a life rooted in Christian values and beliefs," the Cardinal said. "There has been a growing feeling that children are a nuisance to pleasurable life. Even those who have the resources do not beget for selfish reasons."