A diocese of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in Kerala has introduced a welfare scheme to assist households with 5 or extra youngsters, a transfer seen as encouraging the neighborhood to spice up its numbers.
Under the scheme, introduced by the Family Apostolate of the Pala diocese of the Church, month-to-month help of Rs 1500 is promised for {couples} married after the yr 2000 and having 5 or extra youngsters. For the fourth and subsequent youngsters in a household, a scholarship will probably be supplied for research on the St Joseph’s College of Engineering and Technology, Pala. Additionally, the Mar Sleeva Medicity hospital in Pala will cowl pregnancy-related bills for ladies delivering their fourth and subsequent youngsters. Both the faculty and hospital fall below the Church.
The scheme was introduced at a web based assembly by Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt as a part of the yr of the household celebrations of the Church. The Bishop heads the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Pala in central Kerala.
Rev Joseph Kuttiyankal, director of the Family Apostolate, stated the scheme is for these belonging to the Pala diocese of the Syro-Malabar church. The diocese covers Meenachil taluk and a few elements of Kottayam taluk, areas from Koothattukulam to Piravom in Ernakulam district, Arakkulam panchayat and a few elements of Velliyamattam panchayat in Idukki district.
“The scheme has been prepared with the aim of promoting families in different ways. Traditionally, the Church and the faithful have expressed the thought of having more children. That’s mainly why this (scheme) is being done. Also, many families are under financial strain due to Covid. We plan to solve that as well,” Rev Kuttiyankal informed iemalayalam.com.
“There is a need to take our community forward. If not to increase the community’s population growth rate, we aim to retain the present growth. Even at the KCBC level, it was decided to encourage families to have more children. As of now, the population growth rate of the community is declining,” he claimed. The KCBC stands for Kerala Catholic Bishops Council.
Rev Kuttiyankal stated no scientific research have been completed to estimate the ‘declining birth rate’ of the neighborhood. “They are not needed. The Church has bonds going down to the grassroots within our community. In conversations with priests of our diocese, we have realised that the strength of the community is declining,” he stated.