Bishops’ synod, priests and laity from an archdiocese, remain divided over the mode of celebrating Mass
People from Eastern-rite Syro-Malabar Church, based in southern Kerala state in India, demonstrate with placards during the general audience of Pope Francis in the Vatican on Oct. 5 demanding to allow their priests to say Mass facing the people. (Photo: Supplied)
The renewed effort for compromise over a protracted liturgy dispute within India’s Eastern rite Syro-Malabar Church has reached a stalemate with the bishops’ synod, and the priests and laity in an archdiocese, sticking to their respective stands.
The Synod of Bishops issued a circular on Jan. 15 after week-long deliberations indicating there could be no compromise on the adoption of the uniform Mass approved by it in all the dioceses.
“It is illicit to celebrate” a form of Mass, which ignored the one “approved by the Apostolic See,” the circular stated while clarifying that “the uniform Mass should not be misinterpreted as the victory or defeat of any of the forms.”
However, representatives of priests and laity from the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly resolved to stick with the traditional Mass in which the celebrant faces the congregation throughout.
The bishops’ circular noted that until 1999, the Church followed mainly two forms of Mass: one facing the people, and the other facing the altar.
“Synod approved a unified Mass integrating both forms,” which wanted the priests to face the congregation until the Eucharistic Prayer and after communion. He will face the altar only during the Eucharistic prayer, it said.
Since the archdiocese is now governed by a Vatican-appointed administrator, the synod cannot directly interfere in its affairs, the circular added.
“All Catholics must understand that it is a serious violation to negate the Holy Father and work against the administrator appointed by the Holy Father,” the circular said.
The bishops’ said the synod is all for dialogue to find a solution but “it is not possible for a compromise that sacrifices the basic teachings and decisions of the Church and the common good of all.”
The synod had authorized a five-member delegation of bishops under the leadership of Archbishop Joseph Pampalny of Tellicherry to settle the more than five decades-old dispute.
The priests and laity in the archdiocese and Catholics, in general, were expecting approval of the traditional form of Mass as a liturgical variant. Disappointed, the archdiocese observed Jan. 15 as a “day of deception.”
They also vowed not to follow directions of the Church’s Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry and Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, the apostolic administrator, and demanded their resignations for “subverting peace in the archdiocese.”
Father Antony Vadakkekara, the spokesperson of the Syro-Malabar Church, told UCA News on Jan. 16 that peace talks will continue.
“Synod has appointed an eight-member committee of eminent laypeople from the archdiocese, besides the delegation of Bishops, priests and the lay people to continue with the peace talks to find a lasting solution to the problem,” the Vincentian priest said.
The priests and laity denied having any knowledge of such a committee.
“We are not aware of it,” Shaiju Antony, a lay leader, said.
“What we understand is that the talks have failed as the promises made to us by the bishops’ delegation did not reflect in the circular issued by Cardinal Alencherry after the synod,” he told UCA News.
He said the priests and lay people felt that the synod of bishops have deceived them.
“We were called for talks on the plea that the bishops’ delegation was appointed by the synod, but now the circular says it was appointed by the apostolic administrator. We would not have gone for talks if we were told this earlier,” Antony said.
The liturgy dispute led to street protests and violence for months leading to the closure of St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica on Dec. 24 last year.
The Syro-Malabar Church has 35 dioceses and barring the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese the rest have adopted the uniform mode of Mass since Nov. 28, 2021.
The archdiocese has some 500,000 Catholics, making it the largest of the Eastern-rite Church with more than 5 million followers. The Catholics in the archdiocese account for almost 10 percent of the Church.
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