Archbishop Cyril Vasil, the papal delegate to the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabar Church, returned to Rome on Wednesday after completing what an official Church communication said was the “first phase of his mission”.
Father Antony Vadakkekara, public relations officer of the archdiocese and media commission secretary, said in the communication that Archbishop Vasil would pass on to Pope Francis and the Congregation for the Oriental Churches his impressions on the liturgical imbroglio and the implementation of the unified Mass in the archdiocese.
He would continue to be the pontifical delegate to the archdiocese and would return as part of his mission, Father Vadakkekara said in the communication. He added that arrangements had been made in the archdiocese for follow-up action. The communication did not specify the nature of the follow-up action.
The pontifical delegate arrived here on August 4. He met several representatives of the archdiocese, including groups of lay people and priests opposed to the unified Mass, in an attempt to settle the discontent over liturgy, simmering for around 50 years. His appeal to begin the unified Mass at all parishes of the archdiocese by August 20 too failed as most churches did not heed his appeal. The Sunday Mass was abandoned in a few churches following opposition.
The papal delegate addressed the ongoing synod of bishops on Monday during which he warned against a lack of discipline posing threat to the Catholic Church itself. He also issued dire warnings telling both lay people and priests that if they did not toe the synod line on the unified Mass, they would be shown the door.
While his warnings were defied, an attempt by him to enter the St. Mary’s Basilica, the principal church of the archdiocese, was virtually blocked as tension built up. Following this, the papal delegate and apostolic administrator Andrews Thazhath were forced to seek police protection. The rebel group shouted slogans against him during his visit to the basilica. The unsavoury incident was roundly condemned by Major Archbishop George Alencherry during the synod.
A group of priests were also served proformas to be filled in by them undertaking to celebrate only the synodal Mass and to abjure the ways of disobedience to superiors exemplified by the rebel group. The move too met with stiff resistance from priests opposed to the synod Mass.
