Representatives of clergy and laity of the archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly light a decorated candle marking the opening of a gathering of some 40,000 people inside a stadium in Kerala’s Kochi city on Aug. 7. The gathering pledged to defy their Eastern Rite Church’s synod in a long-running liturgical dispute. (Photo: supplied)
The liturgical dispute in the Eastern-rite Syro-Malabar Church seems to have deepened with the laity along with priests and nuns of an archdiocese pledging to stick to their demand for celebrating Holy Mass with the priest facing the congregation.
More than 40,000 Catholics representing around 360 parishes of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese gathered at a large stadium in Kochi on Aug. 7 in open defiance of the liturgical formula mandated by the supreme synod of the church, according to which the Mass celebrant turns to the altar during the Eucharistic prayer.
Their action comes a week after the Vatican appointed Archbishop Andrews Thazhath as the apostolic administrator of the archdiocese on July 30 after removing Archbishop Antony Kariyil as its metropolitan vicar.
Archbishop Kariyil was told to resign after he failed to adopt a liturgical structure formulated by the synod. His successor has been reportedly tasked with a mandate to implement the synod-Mass and bring about liturgical unity in the Church.
The defiant gathering in Kochi, which was called a ‘Viswasa Samrakshana Maha Sangamam’ that loosely, translates as a gathering to protect the faith, may further escalate the decades-old liturgical dispute.
Several participants at the stadium said they were reminded of the historic pledge by their forefathers in the 17th century, known as the "Oath of the Slanting Cross" refusing to submit to the Jesuits and Latin Catholic hierarchy, thus dividing the Saint Thomas Christians of the Kerala coast. The ancient community is now divided into seven separate churches, one of which is the Syro-Malabar Church.
"There were illegalities in the sale of the archdiocese lands"
They pledged not to succumb to any pressure and steadfastly stick to their demand to continue with the Mass order they have been following for over five decades now. They also demanded justice be done to ousted Archbishop Kariyil.
The meeting further sought the restitution of the losses caused to the archdiocese by the dubious sale of archdiocesan land involving Cardinal George Alencherry who is the Major Archbishop and head of the Church.
“Five inquiry committee reports have arrived at the same conclusion that there were illegalities in the sale of the archdiocese lands,” said Monsignor Varghese Njaliyath during his presidential address.
The new administrator, Archbishop Thazhath, is going to have a tough time dealing with the crisis as the faithful and the priests have now joined hands, say Church officials.
“Usually the faithful support the synod decision. But in this case, more than 99 percent of the faithful and the priests in the archdiocese are against it [synod]. Therefore, it is going to be a difficult task now,” the officials added.
Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese with more than half a million faithful lays claim to around 10 percent of the total 5.5 million followers of the Syro-Malabar Church worldwide.
"The Vatican saw this as a serious act of insubordination"
Pope Francis, in a letter in March, had addressed the archdiocese and proclaimed, in a fatherly manner, the implementation of the unified Mass as decided by the synod.
Archbishop Kariyil was instructed to show apostolic courage and implement the unified Mass in the archdiocese. But the prelate issued a special dispensation allowing the defiant priests and laity to continue with the traditional mass, which was seen as disobeying the Pope’s clear instructions.
"The Vatican saw this as a serious act of insubordination," said the Curia of the Syro-Malabar Church in a statement.
Archbishop Kariyil, however, insists that he acted in the interests of the archdiocese and the faithful despite "continued pressure from the higher-ups."
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