Archbishop Cyril Vasil, the pontifical delegate to the Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, who left Kochi in the early hours of Friday after more than a week-long visit, ordered lay people and priests in the archdiocese to follow Pope Francis’ order on the way Mass should be celebrated.
The letter looks like the last word on a long-drawn controversy over Mass celebration, possibly paving the way for an end to the division within the archdiocese and the acrimonious relations between the vast majority of the clergy and lay people and the official hierarchy represented by the synod of bishops.
Apostolic administrator Bosco Puthur, in a separate circular, urged the clergy to celebrate the synod Mass on Christmas day. The December 23 circular said the papal delegate and he had had long talks with lay people and priests on Mass celebration, but the talks had not been conclusive.
Bishop Puthur said the papal delegate had conveyed to him that the Pope, Vatican Secretary of State, and the Congregation for Oriental Churches were of the view that the synod Mass should be followed. Under the circumstances, he said, the synod Mass could start on Christmas day 2023.
He also said that all concerned should strive to prepare the ground for reopening the St. Mary’s Basilica for people to offer prayers.
The liturgy controversy in the archdiocese centres on the synod’s order to celebrate the Mass with the celebrant or priest facing the people for the opening of the Mass up to consecration. The priest then turns to the altar for the consecration. Later, he faces the people for blessings and conclusion. Considering the nature of such a celebration, the Mass has been described in common parlance as 50:50 Mass or synod Mass.
But its opponents, citing over a half-century of tradition in the archdiocese, have so far stuck to a Mass in which the priest faced the congregation for the entire duration of the ceremonies. The synod formula has been adopted by all the other dioceses of the Syro-Malabar Church, while the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, the seat of the vicariate, has so far stood its ground.
But the Pope, in an unusual step, released a video address to the archdiocese on December 7, endorsing the synod Mass and ordering all to follow the 50:50 Mass from Christmas or stand to be shown the door from the Catholic communion.
But, Archbishop Vasil sounded milder in his appeal of December 21. He said it was time to express love and obedience to the Pope not only in words but also in deeds. He reminded his audience that the Pope considered following the synod Mass as central to the unity of the Church.
The archbishop said the Pope ended all scope for further debate on the Mass issue because the latter said without ambiguity that he had studied the issue thoroughly to avoid allegations that he had been misled by some.
