Shortage of nuns in Kerala

Churches in Kerala are facing a dilemma, due to the decline in the number of nuns, with only a few opting for the convent life.

Explaining the situation, Sr Leena, secretary of Conference of Religious India's (CRI) Kerala region said, "The shortage is felt mainly because the number of provinces under the congregations has gone up really high in the past couple of years. There are not enough nuns to meet the demands of all the provinces."

The CRI statistics reveal, the state has 31,514 nuns while the total number in India is 1,00,430. The number of novices in the state is 4,000 while the national figure is over 7,000.

"The novices have many options now and can join the formation team of any of these congregations. So some provinces may not get as many nuns as before," says Fr Kuriakose Mundadan, editor of the Malayalam version of Sathyadeepam, run by the Ernakulam diocese of Syro Malabar Church.

The formation period for a nun is four years and it involves stringent terms and vows. However, after joining the convent not many opt out fearing the disapproval of family and society. Interestingly, the Jacobite Syrian Church gets a number of applications from female aspirants in their early 30s.

"Women feel secure in a convent. And some who do not want to enter wedlock also apply to become nuns," says Fr Varghese Kallappara, chief spokesperson of the Jacobite Syrian Church.