By Tim Waggoner
NEW DELHI, July 31, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Law Reforms Commission of Kerala, India, which is a government commission, has proposed a law that would penalize any family that has a third child. The Catholic Church in India has spoken out against this proposal, which it says reflects the ideologies of the “Marxist” government currently in power in Kerala.
According to AsiaNews, if enacted, the law will fine any family that has a third child the equivalent of 150 Euros, as well as exclude the family from free health care and education.
The law ensures that no one’s religion or race will grant them an exception and gives “any person or a public organization or institution associated with or carrying on the work of family planning and birth control” the right to take an offender of the law to court.
Cardinal Varkery Vithayathil, president of the Indian Catholic bishops’ conference, told AsiaNews that the “the Catholic Church will oppose to the end” the “state dictatorship of the Marxist government” of Kerala.
“In Kerala, there are two different ideologies, the ideology of supremacy of the state, and the other ideology being freedom, respect, and the dignity of the human person,” said the Cardinal.
“Who has the right to decide the number of children? Human beings are born for the world, and the Indian government has tried before and this was opposed by everyone; even the poorest person knows intrinsically that a child is a gift of God. The government is proposing such draconian measures to limit the number of children for demographic reasons.”
Cardinal Vithayathil concluded by reflecting on the 40th anniversary of Humane Vitae, proclaiming the need to defend the right to life:
“We want to promote and encourage a pro-life policy, as we are celebrating 40 years of the encyclical Humane Vitae. We need to reaffirm the importance of life in the face of such a proposed law. No legislation can stop or even hinder the faithful from being generous in having more children and open to life.”
See related LifeSiteNews,com reports:
Christians in India facing Major Decline Because of Low Birthrate
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jun/060612a.html
UN to Award Global PR Firm for Indian Population Control Condom Campaign
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/aug/07082203.html