Kerala 2-Child Draft Bill Criticized By Religious Organizations

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian and Malankara Syriac Orthodox Churches are joining other religious organizations in Kerala in criticizing a draft bill on women's rights in the Indian state that would limit couples to having two children in an effort to curb the growth of the state's population. More here.

Quote of the Day: St. John Chrysostom

Let us afford our children from the first an incentive to goodness from the name that we give them. Let none of us hasten to call his children after his forebearers, his father and mother and grandfather and grandmother, but rather after the righteous - martyrs, bishops, apostles. Let one be called Peter, another John, another bear the name of one of the saints. Let the names of the saints enter our homes through the naming of our children.”

"Fighting Child Marriage in Ethiopia"

An article on the unfortunately rather widespread practice of child marriage in Ethiopia can be found here.

Ethiopia Moving to Limit International Adoptions?

The Ethiopian government is moving to restrict international adoptions due to complications surrounding the adoptions both within the country and in the countries of the adoptive families. More here. I've been wondering when this would happen for a while now. There has been unease over international adoptions for quite some time due to both abuses of the system and to discomfort amongst Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and Muslims over Ethiopian children being raised in foreign religions in their adoptive countries. In the last couple of years a set of new restrictions were placed on families adopting children from Ethiopia and it now appears that that was just a first step...

Ilia II Baptizing Children to Raise Awareness for Georgian Orphans

On the dual celebration of Mothers' Day and St. Shio Mgvime in Georgia, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II (Gudushauri-Shiolashvili) of Mtskheta-Tbilisi is holding the 16th mass baptism of children in Tbilisi's Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, focusing this time around on raising awareness of orphans and the need for more adoptive parents in Georgia. More here and here.

Children Returned to Serbian-American Family After 8-Month Separation

A Serbian-American family from California has regained custody of its children 8 months after they were taken following the discovery of nude pictures of one of their children on a family computer. The parents were quickly cleared of child pornography charges, but child welfare services refused to return the children, who were also refused access to their parish priest unless the latter spoke to them in English instead of Serbian. The custody battle sparked outrage in Serbia, with the Serbian government funding the parents' legal battle to get their children back. More here.

"Raising a Saint" by Fr. Stephen Freeman

Fr. Stephen Freeman has a lovely post on raising children and the example of St. Silouan the Athonite here.