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Controversial new guidelines issued by Syro Malabar bishop

Men should marry before the age of 25 and women before 23 according to the new set of recommendations
Controversial new guidelines issued by Syro Malabar bishop

Catholics getting ready for Mass in a church in Kochi, the base of the Syro-Malabar Church. A new set of guidelines has caused controversy in the church. (ucanews.com photo)

Published: January 18, 2017 05:05 AM GMT
Updated: January 18, 2017 10:21 AM GMT

An elaborate set of guidelines issued by a Syro Malabar bishop for ceremonies including marriages and funerals have caused controversy in the church's base in the  southern Indian state of Kerala.

Bishop Remigiose Inchananiyil of Thamaraserry issued the circular Jan. 15. It was based on decisions made at the Thamaraserry diocesan general assembly Jan. 9-11, said Father Abraham Kavilpurayidam, the diocesan chancellor. 

The guidelines said that Catholic men should marry before the age of 25 and women before 23. They also said that extravagant ceremonies should be avoided and banned bridesmaids and flower girls in the ceremony.

The circular also focused on simplicity and criticized the emerging trend of delaying the burial of bodies for people's convenience. It said that the burial should be done within 24 hours of death in normal circumstances.

The circular also wanted parish councils to ban firework displays and modern musical instruments during church festivals and other functions.

Jose Sebastian, a social activist based in Wyanad district where the diocese is based, said some suggestions are impractical and unnecessary.

"A person may not be able to complete studies, get a job and establish himself financially before the age of 25.  It may not always be possible to get married before the age of 25," said Sebastian.

He also said that many funerals are generally delayed to help relatives of the deceased, who work outside the state, attend the ceremony.

An estimated 3 million people from Kerala state, most of them Christians, are migrants working in the Persian Gulf and Europe. Thousands from Kerala also work in Indian cities outside the state.

"Although these guidelines are not compulsory, it may create discord between the clergy and the people when a parish priest tries to comply with the bishop's directions," said the activist. 

Reji Njallani, state convener of the Kerala Catholic Church Reformation Movement, said the guidelines may be an attempt to restore the centuries-old customs and traditions of the ancient Syro-Malabar Church that traces its origin to St. Thomas the Apostle.

Many Kerala Christians, also known as St. Thomas Christians, follow the customs of high caste Hindus but the arrival of Portuguese missioners in 16th century helped them accept several liturgical changes. "A group in the church has been attempting to restore what they call the traditions of St. Thomas Christians" he said.

Banning flower girls and recommending early marriage should be seen in this light, he said. A tradition of the upper caste Hindus in the state also demands the funeral on the same day of death, or at least within 24 hours.

However, Father Kavilpurayidam told ucanews.com that the attempt is not exactly going back to the pre-Portuguese days but is an earnest attempt to reinstate the good practices of the olden days.

"The studies we have conducted have revealed that many of the modern practices we follow came from an affluent style of living. The church wants to discourage that and restore the original character of the church," he said.

Father Kavilpurayidam also said studies have shown that delaying marriage causes several issues including infertility. He said the diocese has some 120,000 Catholics and as many as 1,500 people above the age of 30 remain unmarried.

Church leaders in the past decade have been urging people to have more children to improve the church's dwindling numbers.

Diocesan Pastoral Council Secretary K.V. Chacko said that the guidelines have the "the full support" of the Syro Malabar Church's general assembly.

The Catholic Church in India comprises Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara rites. The Latin rite follows the Roman liturgy that European missioners introduced in the 16th century. The other two Eastern rites, based in Kerala, southern India, follow Syrian church traditions and trace their origins to St. Thomas the Apostle.

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