Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli

In May 2008, Russia established The Order of Parental Glory. This special recognition is awarded to parents who have seven or more children and provided for their physical, spiritual and moral development. When the seventh child is three years old, the entire family is invited to the Kremlin and honored for contributing to Russian society. Father Ioann Osyak Dean of Orthodox churches in Rostov-on-Don, and his wife, Nadezhda, were among the first to receive this award. They have 18 children. And four of their sons are priests. A fifth in the seminary!

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, government officials realized that Russia was facing a demographic crisis. The population began shrinking by 700,000 every year. To stop the downward trend, the government launched a program to encourage families to have children. Hence, The Order of Parental Glory.

France, Italy, China and Japan have all awakened to their dwindling population and are launching efforts to encourage their citizens to have children. Certainly, the move from an agricultural society to an industrial, technological society has resulted in smaller families. No longer the need for many hands to help with the chores on the farm. But, this is not the only reason. College tuition bills, the rising cost of food and housing, instability in employment, the widespread use of artificial contraception and abortion have all contributed to family downsizing.

The United States is not exempt from a diminishing number of children. A very recent study has shown that the birthrate in America is at its lowest in 30 years. Population experts tell us that, if a society is to remain stable, the number of new births each year need to be within a certain range, called the “replacement level.” When this does not happen, the workforce eventually shrinks, tax revenues decrease, the economy tumbles, the elderly suffer and the very structure of family is broken. For the last eight years, the number of women giving birth in the United States has been declining. Our country is now 16 percent below the replacement level. It is time for America, like Russia, China, Japan, France and Italy, to wake up.

The present trend to have no more than two or three children, if any, cannot simply be attributed to the economy. Ultimately, it is not the price tag that comes with each child. Food, health care, education, housing, clothes, sports and entertainment do cost. Raising a toddler and training a teenager do take their toll. All these factors may lead some individuals to limit the number of children or not to have children at all.

It certainly is a fact that, when individuals choose a certain lifestyle where one’s profession is the priority, their desire to have children takes a back seat. Likewise, when individuals want the freedom to enjoy the best vacations and restaurants, have the best homes, the latest gadgets and the finest clothes, they are less likely to want to spend the time required to raise a family. But, there is a much deeper reason why the younger generation is having fewer and fewer children. It is not a matter of economics. It is a matter of the heart! Children require love.

When parents bring children into this world and create a family, they themselves are changed. They must always be attentive to the needs of each other and their children. They must sacrifice more, especially if their children suffer in any way. Parenting is never easy. It is not a profession. It is a continuous act of love. And, in loving their children, parents themselves are enriched. They grow in their capacity to love. They see the world with the new eyes of youth. The smile on the face of their children and the children’s happiness in accomplishing their own dreams brings joy to the parents.

No price tag can be set on the value of a child. Those who invest their love in raising children to be good citizens of their country and faithful members of the Church truly invest in the future of humanity. Certainly, more than those who invest in material things do. Children are our true wealth. And, having children is one of the most extraordinary ways a man and a woman deepen their relationship with God. By their willingness to have a family, they cooperate generously with God in inviting others to the banquet of life in this world and the next. “Children are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward” (Ps 127:3). Children are not a burden. They are a blessing.