A forum of lay people in support of the synod has urged the apostolic administrator to take action against rebel priests for violating the synod order on unified Mass in the Syro-Malabar Church.
The Samyukta Sabha Samrakshana Samithi (Joint Forum For Protection of Church) said the apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly must at least now take action against the rebel priests as ordered by the Pope.
Forum leaders Mathai Muthirenthi and Wilson Vadakkumcheri said in a statement here that the Pope had warned the rebels that if they did not heed the order on Mass litrugy, they would be ousted from the Catholic fold. The apostolic administrator must now meet out the punishment to those who disobeyed the synod, they said.
The latest act of disobedience by the rebels had come in the form of their refusal to read out a circular from the bishop on unified Mass last Sunday. They had also not offered the Mass as prescribed by the synod, the forum leaders said. They said that lack of action had encouraged the rebels to carry on with their disruptive activities. If the apostolic administrator was unable to punish the rebels, he should step down from his position, the forum said.
