A delegation of senior priests from the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church will leave for the Vatican on June 8 on an official invitation from Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
The delegation is being led by Metropolitan Vicar Archbishop Antony Karyil and will comprise vicars general Hormis Mainatty, Jose Puthiyedath, Joy Ayiniyadan, Ernakulam Cathedral Basilica vicar and scholar on liturgy Antony Narikulam and archdiocesan chancellor Biju Perumayan, said a communication here.
The delegation is slated to discuss the implementation of the unified Mass system in the archdiocese. The unified Mass system, in which the celebrant (priest) faced the congregation for the first half and then faced away from them for the second half, was prescribed by the synod of bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church in August last year.
However, the synodal decision had met with stiff opposition both from the laity and the community of priests in the archdiocese, who have claimed that the fully congregation-facing Mass has been a custom for about 50 years now in the archdiocese. Several of the parishes in the archdiocese have not been celebrating the Mass as per the decision of the synod of bishops.
The meeting of the delegation of priests from the archdiocese with officials of the Congregation for Oriental Churches is slated for June 10.
