Thattil to Syro-Malabars: “Migration and declining birth rates are emptying our churches”

The Major Archbishop announces a “Year for strengthening the community” in a post-synodal circular. He invites the faithful to contribute financially to the future of the communities and public life by creating job opportunities. Fr Olikkarott: ‘The decline in families is alarming: we encourage young people to stay and have children’.

Kochi (AsiaNews) - The first session of the 34th Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church ended at Mount St. Thomas in Ernakulam with an urgent appeal to address the community's declining population and the challenges of migration.

In a post-synodal circular issued on 10 January, Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil announced the beginning of a ‘Year for the Strengthening of the Community’, urging the faithful to courageously face the challenges of today's world.

The Major Archbishop's circular addresses the issue of the trend towards ‘reckless migration’ to foreign countries, warning that it leads some to incur huge debts and a weakening of faith.

‘The alarming rate of migration to foreign countries by members of the community is leading some to significant indebtedness, while their absence is felt by the Church in India,’ writes the Major Archbishop, urging Christians to address economic issues.

The Syro-Malabar Church expressly calls on its faithful to recognise their potential to become creators and employers, rather than mere job seekers. It points out that, despite the frequent claim that working in the fields is not profitable, there are commendable models of advanced agriculture in some dioceses that have successfully provided employment for many people.

The Synod also reiterated the need for active participation in public life. The circular states that it is part of the ‘civic duty’ of members of the Syro-Malabar Church to actively enter the fields of public administration and politics, reminding the community that ‘vigilance is the price of democracy.’ In this sense, the Year for Community Strengthening is not meant to be a mere anniversary, but an effort to purify all areas of public life in the light of Christian teaching.

In an interview with a Malayalam-language media outlet, Fr. Tom Olikkarott, head of public relations for the Syro-Malabar Church, said: "We must seriously address the fact that the birth rate is declining. More than just a reduction in our representation, the community is facing the risk of disappearing. One of the main concerns is that as young people migrate to foreign countries, there is no one left to care for the elderly. In addition, many of the new generation do not want to marry and have children. But the family is the fundamental unit of society, and its progressive reduction is alarming,‘ continues Fr. Olikkarott. ’We need larger families that promote responsible parenthood. The Church has been and remains committed to supporting families who struggle to raise their children through various programmes and scholarships."