Published on: 1:02 pm, April 4, 2016 Story By: mattersindia.com

Idukki:  Bishop Mar Mathew Anikkuzhikattil of Idukki has urged the faithful to give priority to marriage over education.

In a pastoral letter, which will be read during the Sunday Mass in the churches under the diocese in April, he said, “Most youngsters think that they can delay marriage till they complete their education and get a good job.“ This is not the right perception, said the letter adding that “marriage is not an obstacle to pursuing education and obtaining jobs.“

The pastoral letter further said the attitude of youngsters to postpone marriage for enjoying life result in in crease of “immoral tendencies among them.“

The bishop also urged married couples to encourage those unmarried youngsters to get married. “Each parish should have at least 10 ideal couples, who should become role models for those unmarried,“ the letter said.

The letter also pointed out that during 1991-2006 period, 11,083 couples in Syro-Malabar Church did not have children. “The fertility diminishes after the age of 30 due to reasons like various diseases, addiction to liquor, usage of narcotics, life style etc,“ the bishop said in the letter. This along with people remaining unmarried for long could lead to society getting ruined.

The bishop also urged the parents and family members to pray for those who were getting ready to marry. “Sexual purity and chastity should not be considered as virtues of the olden times and should become a novel dedication for the future,“ he said.