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“When they become adults, children have the right and duty to choose their
profession and state of life. They should assume their new responsibilities
within a trusting relationship with their parents, willingly asking and
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receiving their advice and counsel”.

The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) reminds the
Christian community of the mission of every family to take care of their
vulnerable members. “The members, especially those who are vulnerable,
need the love and care of the family which not only include the children but
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also the elderly”. The duty of the children, which is a question of justice
towards the parents, is to take care of them especially when they are sick
and aged. “Children should love, respect and obey their parents…. (T)hey
have the obligation of looking after parents especially in their old age and
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loneliness”. This is the indispensable duty of children towards their
parents.

All the Knānāya family customs remind us that obedience to parents
is the duty of children. As seen in this analysis of these customs, elders and
parents are given much respect and have enjoyed important roles in those
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ceremonies. The young are bound to respect and to pay homage to them.

4.1.5.3.4 Blessing at the Death Bed as the Final Reward of Moral
Formation of the Children

If, from the point of view of the parents, the Blessing at the Death
Bed is a continuation and fulfilment of the moral advices; then for the
children, who, right from the beginning of their life and throughout each and
every stage of their growth, received and obeyed the moral formation and
blessings of their parents, it is the final reward for their obedience and
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faithfulness to their parents. Abraham received his reward from God, for

55 Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2230.
56
CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF INDIA, “Challenges to The Family
Apostolate, in Report of the Seventeenth Plenary Assembly of CCBI, Bangalore, 4-8 March,
2005, p. 105.
57 CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE OF INDIA, Commission for All India Seminar,
“Preparatory Seminars- An Assessment”, no. 422, in All India Seminar on The Church In
India Today, Bangalore, 15-25 May, 1969, CBCI Centre, New Delhi, 1969.
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Cf. VELLIAN, J., Knānite Community History and Culture, Syrian Church Series Vol.
XVII, Jyothi Book House, Kottayam, 2001, p. 22.
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Cf. PULLAPPALLY, JOHN P. M., “Socio-religious Customs of Knānites” (Malayalam),
in J. VELLIAN (ed.), Symposium on Knānites, The Syrian Church Series, Vol. XII,
Kottayam, 1986, pp. 110-111.

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