The Mass liturgy divide in the Syro-Malabar Church has deepened and uncertainty continues to grip the Church with a large rebel group of lay people and priests in Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese expressing readiness either to be hived off the larger church or to be recognised as a liturgical variant within it.
Outside the larger Syro-Malabar fold, the rebel group reportedly wants to form a church in communion with Rome, but outside the Syro-Malabar hierarchy, to continue with full congregation facing Mass as is the practice now in the archdiocese. This is in sharp contrast to a synod diktat to follow the unified Mass in which the celebrant faced the altar during the consecration of the Eucharists but turned to people at the introductory and final blessings.
The group’s stand was made unequivocally clear on April 19 (Friday) after a meeting of the assembly of priests (presbyterium). The full people-facing Mass is the only choice before the archdiocese, said the group spokesman at the end of the presbyterium. “Nothing else is possible,” said the statement issued by senior priest Jose Vailikodath, spokesperson of Athirupatha Samrakshana Samithy (Diocesan Protection Forum).
The presbyterium meeting was convened to discuss a plan of action to implement the synod-prescribed Mass. The plan of action is to be later presented before the church authorities in Rome.
But the statement from Father Vailikodath claimed that priests were irked by a claim by Bosco Puthur, apostolic administrator, that action will be taken against those who refused to follow the synod diktat. The statement also said that around 300 priests participated in the meeting and claimed the support of a total of 450 for the rebel cause.
In the meanwhile, Samyukta Sabha Samraksha Samity (Unified Forum for Protection of Archdiocese), a group supporting the synod cause of unified Mass, said that the Church authorities should not succumb to the opposition raised by the rebel group on Mass issues.
A statement from the group appealed to the rebels not to wait for approval of Rome but to get out of the Syro-Malabar Church as they were not in favour of obeying the orders of the Church authorities, including the Pope.
