Church leader sparks Georgian baby boom

[Danno 1,228]

Church leader sparks Georgian baby boom

By Tom Esslemont

BBC News, Tbilisi

Two years after having one of the lowest birth rates in the world, Georgia is enjoying something of a baby boom, following an intervention from the country's most senior cleric.

At the end of 2007, in a move to reverse the Caucasian country's dwindling birth figures, the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II, came up with an incentive. He promised to personally baptise any baby born to parents of more than two children.

There was only one catch: the baby had to be born after the initiative was launched.

The results are, in the words of the Georgian Orthodox Church, "a miracle".

Easy decision

The country's birth rate increased by nearly 20% during 2008 - a rate four times faster than the previous year.

Many parents say they took the decision to have another child on the basis of the Patriarch's incentive.

Giorgi and Pati Bluashvili have just had their fourth child. He is a boy called Giviko. He has big blue eyes and a loud laugh. As I try to interview his mother he takes delight at interrupting by babbling away.

Pati says the decision to have another child was an easy one.

Bluashvili family

The Bluashvili family have taken part in the programme

"There's no doubt in my mind that we had Giviko because of the Patriarch's incentive," she says.

"When he announced that he would baptise any child born to parents with at least two children already we could not resist the opportunity to have another baby. To have a child baptised by the Patriarch is so very special."

Many other parents agree. It is perhaps not surprising in a country where more than 80% of people follow the Orthodox faith.

On a Thursday afternoon, dozens of parents are queuing up outside a registry office in central Tbilisi to put their child's name down for the Patriarchal mass baptism. The ceremonies take place four times a year.

Scribbling down the name of her three-month-old boy, Nino - a young mother - says it is an honour to be contributing to the task of boosting birth rates.

"The Patriarch did a really good thing launching this initiative," she says.

"I am sure that most parents decided to have more babies because of him. If his Holiness baptises your child it means he becomes his or her godfather and that is such an honour."

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[Marina-Del 10]

We should get this article and the one from a couple days back that said that the Earth was already OVERpopulated and put them together....

[SuperDuper! 230]

Keep making those babies, folks. Fun process, too.

[Ban Hammer 13,659]

maybe we can send them octomom.

[Nagishkaw 510]

maybe we can send them octomom.

[SuperDuper! 230]

maybe we can send them octomom.

So Charles, with your new addition on the way, can we call your wife the UnaMomma?

[Danno 1,228]

We should get this article and the one from a couple days back that said that the Earth was already OVERpopulated and put them together....

Just because there is a flood in one part of the planet does not rule out a drought in another.

[Ban Hammer 13,659]

maybe we can send them octomom.

So Charles, with your new addition on the way, can we call your wife the UnaMomma?

only if you can run fast.

[almaty 19]

Georgia and russia need more folks...

[Peikko 1,575]

He promised to personally baptise any baby born to parents of more than two children.

Of all lame decisions to have a baby, a promise to have it baptized by some church luminary has to be one of the worst.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

He promised to personally baptise any baby born to parents of more than two children.

Of all lame decisions to have a baby, a promise to have it baptized by some church luminary has to be one of the worst.

I don't know - I might consider it if he throws in a couple of magazine subscriptions

[Danno 1,228]

Putin offered a Cash payment to mothers for having babies..... as the rest of Europe fades away, is there any other successful plans in action?

[peejay 327]

Putin offered a Cash payment to mothers for having babies..... as the rest of Europe fades away, is there any other successful plans in action?

In the Chita region in Siberia where my wife was born they are being overrun by Chinese illegal aliens (as Russia really doesn't have an open immigration policy). I'm not so sure how long that will continue or if it will ever become really visible in the centers like Moscow.

On the only trip I ever took to Moscow I saw that the local militia were on foreigners (i.e: non-Slavics) like white on rice. I observed the militia checking their papers on numerous occasions. My Belarusian cousin advised me never to look militia in the eye directly because it is just asking for trouble. I would casually observe, but not gawk.

Anyway, I doubt if mass immigration will take hold in Russia anytime soon as a solution to population loss. Ditto for Belarus. Both countries have homogenous populations not open to outsiders.

Edited April 6, 2009 by peejay

[Danno 1,228]

Putin offered a Cash payment to mothers for having babies..... as the rest of Europe fades away, is there any other successful plans in action?

In the Chita region in Siberia where my wife was born they are being overrun by Chinese illegal aliens (as Russia really doesn't have an open immigration policy). I'm not so sure how long that will continue or if it will ever become really visible in the centers like Moscow.

On the only trip I ever took to Moscow I saw that the local militia were on foreigners (i.e: non-Slavics) like white on rice. I observed the militia checking their papers on numerous occasions. My Belarusian cousin advised me never to look militia in the eye directly because it is just asking for trouble. I would casually observe, but not gawk.

Anyway, I doubt if mass immigration will take hold in Russia anytime soon as a solution to population loss. Ditto for Belarus. Both countries have homogenous populations not open to outsiders.

Yea I saw the same thing, if you are illegal you DO NOT ride the metro. They have cleaned out nearly all the Ileg. venders in the Markets, and they do not worry about merchandise or crying kids, they are going down to the station.

The idea is to A. run them out and B. hope the word spreads so others don't come.

The Former Soviets are harsh Countries in many ways certainly not for every one but they do have qualities not to be found anywhere else.

[meowmeowmeow 1]

Georgia and russia need more folks...

better for them to get new governments instead, especially georgia.