KOCHI: The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) issued a statement on Monday regarding the decisions taken in its monsoon summit held from August 2 to 6. In the statement, KCBC expressed its concern about the drastic fall in the birth rate among Christians.
Also, discussions were held on topics relating to protection of life, alleged anti-Christian trend in the cultural and media sector, Fr Stan Swamy’s death, and on reports of the demolition of churches.
Deeply expressing grave concern on the dangerously low birth rate among Christians, KCBC stated that it could even risk the very existence of the community.
“Earlier in the 1950s, Christians formed 24.6% of Kerala’s population, but now it has reduced to 17.2%. Christians have become the community with the least birth rate of 1.8%. It is in this situation that various dioceses have come forward with projects to support families with more children. It is not logical to consider population reduction as the only solution for social crises which arise due to improper development policies,” said KCBC.
“Countries like China and various developed nations having low birth rates are now forced to rethink their policies due to its ill effects,” it added.
The council also urged the government’s immediate intervention in constructing breakwaters to protect coastal regions like Chellanam which are prone to coastal erosion. “Sand retrieved through dredging for increasing the depth at Kochi seaport should be used for protection in areas facing coastal erosion,” said KCBC.
On the recent demise ofrights activist Fr Stan Swamy while in custody, KCBC said the government has the responsibility to prove the accusations made against him before the public. “The government should initiate measures to investigate the truth behind the charges levelled against him,” said KCBC.
The statement also mentioned about the right to worship and freedom of expression. “The council has observed that an anti-Christian inclination is rising in media and cultural spheres. In the field of arts, especially film, there are increasing attempts to defame Christian symbols, sacraments and teachings. We hope that the responsible parties would understand the concerns of the community and make the required corrections,” the statement said.
CHURCH TO HOLD PRO-LIFE ACTIVITIES, CAMPAIGN AGAINST ABORTION TODAY
Kochi: The Catholic Church is observing Tuesday, the 50th anniversary of implementing the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act in India, as a Day of Protection of Life. The Family Commission of the KCBC has called for ringing the church bells and prayers for the foetuses who remained unborn due to the termination of pregnancies. Other pro-life activities will also be held in parishes across the state. As part of the observation of ‘Day of Protection of Life’, the commission said activities will be held in all 32 Catholic dioceses in the state.