THE Catholic Church in Kerala, India, is dismayed by falling numbers of Christians in the state – and has begun offering incentives to boost childbirth.

The St Vincent de Paul Forane Church, in the Kerala town of Kalpetta, for example, is offeringÂ families 10,000 rupees ($200) if they produce a fifth sprog. The money would be deposited in a bank until the child turns 18.

The “make-babies-for-Jesus” programme flies in the face of government efforts to curb India’s population growth, which stands at 1.2 billion, making it the second most populous country after China.

A government panel has proposed a strict two-child policy to slow this growth down. A bill – which is unlikely to become a law – suggests a three-months jail sentence and a 10,000-rupee ($200) fine for couples with more than two children.

This has outraged the Catholic Church, which has hit back, telling its flocks in southern India to have MORE, not fewer kids.

Said Babu Joseph, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India in New Delhi:

The Christian community in Kerala is dwindling. We realised that if the numbers decreased further, it would have a negative impact on the community.

So Kerala’s Catholic parishes have launched a variety of programmes, from free education to free medical care, said the Rev Jose Kottayil of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council. Most begin offering the benefits with the fifth child, but the church also helps poorer families with fewer children.

A large number of church-sponsored groups in Kerala have begun campaigns with the slogan:

A large family is a happy family.

Kottayil said the Catholic church plans to honour large families at a ceremony next month.