(Agencies): The Syro-Malabar Church appeared on the brink of a split with dissident Catholics in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, India, as only six of the 328 parishes celebrated Mass in the synod-approved uniform mode. In seven parishes, people stopped the priests from complying with the order from Archbishop Cyril Vasil, the pontifical delegate, who said all parishes were to celebrate the Synod- and Vatican-approved Mass in all parishes from August 20.
Archbishop Vasil, appointed to help find a solution to the decades-old liturgical dispute in India’s Eastern-rite Syro-Malabar Church, said on August 17 that priests who refuse to accept the approved liturgy could face excommunication, UCAN reported.
The liturgy at the heart of the dissent is a compromise between the Syro-Malabar Church’s ancient tradition, in which the priest faced east [ad orientem], and the post-Vatican II practice where the priest faces toward the people throughout the liturgy [versus populum]. In the so-called uniform mode—introduced two decades ago, the celebrant faces the congregation during Liturgy of the Word, turns toward the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and then faces the people again after Communion.
Of the Syro-Malabar Church’s 35 dioceses, all except the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, which is the see of George Cardinal Alencherry, have implemented the synod-approved Mass, UCAN reported.
“We will not offer the uniform mode of Mass as the Rubrics [turning to the altar during the Mass] in it were clandestinely added without any consideration,” Father Kuriakose Mundadan, secretary of the presbytery council in the archdiocese claimed on August 17, insisting that “the synod also misled the pope and now they want us to follow it which will not be possible.”
Are you with the Holy Father, do you wish to remain priests and members of the Catholic Church and of your Syro-Malabar Church, or do you wish to give preference to the voice of troublemakers who lead you towards disobedience to the Holy Father, to the legitimate pastors of your Syro-Malabar Church and to the Catholic Church?
Archbishop Vasil
However, Archbishop Vasil called for the synod-approved Mass to be implemented and asked the priests to read out a letter from Pope Francis issued on 25 March 2022, addressing the matter. Most parishes did not do this RVA News reported on August 19.
He also ordered the priests to commemorate the legitimate hierarchs during the celebration of Mass, specifically asking each of them to commemorate Pope Francis, the Major Archbishop George Cardinal Alencherry, the head of the Church, and the Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Andrew Thazhath in all liturgical celebrations.
“I hereby warn you that any negligence to fulfill this order will invite canonical punishments as prescribed” in canon 1438 of the Code of the Eastern Churches, which speaks about excommunication, he said.
However Father Mundadan said priests pray for the bishops in their Masses. “We are only opposed to rubrics, and we even use the updated liturgy texts for our Mass,” he insisted.
A report in Crux [August 17] reported Archbishop Vasil as asking to dissenting priests: “Are you with the Holy Father, do you wish to remain priests and members of the Catholic Church and of your Syro-Malabar Church, or do you wish to give preference to the voice of troublemakers who lead you towards disobedience to the Holy Father, to the legitimate pastors of your Syro-Malabar Church and to the Catholic Church?” However he asked forgiveness for the scandals in the Church.
Archbishop Vasil had been blocked from entering St.Mary’s Cathedral Basilica in Ernakulam, Kerala, by group of people led by the Archdiocese Protection Committee, who oppose unified liturgy
The archbishop asked the laity, “Are you ready to follow the Holy Father and the Catholic Church; or do you prefer to put your trust in some of your priests, who want to cover their personal disobedience to the Holy Father under your name?”
The archbishop knelt before the people saying, “On my knees, and I personally ask forgiveness for anything on the part of anyone who may have given any reason for any real or supposed justification for this rebellion,”
He added, “Likewise, on my knees, I also ask you to no longer participate in this sin against our Lord and the Catholic Church.”
Father Joice Kaithakottil, a priest of the archdiocese, argued that Pope Francis had not explicitly required priests to follow the decisions of a synod of bishops within the Syro-Malabar Church while questioning the authority of the papal delegate, RVA News reported.
“There is no room for Archbishop Vasil to give an order to the priests of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly … Let the archdiocesan faithful know clearly the authority delegated to you by the pope,” Father Kaithakottil said.
Earlier, on August 14, Manorama News reported that Archbishop Vasil had been blocked from entering St.Mary’s Cathedral Basilica in Ernakulam, Kerala, by group of people led by the Archdiocese Protection Committee, who oppose unified liturgy. Police had to be called in to facilitate his entry into the church where he offered prayers.
On August 13, the archbishop celebrated the unified Mass at St. John’s Parish Church in Kalamassery and held conciliatory talks with parishioners who have been opposed to the liturgy.
However, UCAN reported one Church member, who requested anonymity, claiming, “Even if priests are ready to adopt the uniform mode of Mass, they can’t celebrate it in our churches as a vast majority of people are opposed to it.”
He said, “Considering our liturgy as a variant can easily solve the issues. But the ego of some bishops in the synod created all these troubles, knowing well that the people and priests in the archdiocese will not accept the uniform mode of Mass which they rejected two decades back.”
