Turbulent times are ahead and the coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether the Church can heal its divisions and move forward in unity.
The Vatican had sent its envoy twice to resolve the issue. The visits, however, yielded no result. (Wikimedia Commons)
In December 2023, the leader of the global Catholic Church Pope Francis made a rare and impassioned video address.
The Pope’s message was clear and urgent: “In the name of the Lord, for the spiritual good of your Church, of our Church, I ask you to heal this rupture. It is your Church; it is our Church. Re-establish communion, remain in the Catholic Church!”
The pontiff was referring to the long-simmering dispute in the Syro-Malabar Church over changes to the liturgy, which is a pattern of worship used by Christian congregations or denominations on a regular basis.
On the surface, it appears to be a simple matter of posture – how priests conduct the Mass. But beneath lies a deeper conflict, where tradition clashes with uniformity, and dissenters face a stark ultimatum – comply or be expelled.
The Syro-Malabar Church, with a membership of approximately 4.25 million, is the second-largest of the Eastern churches in communion with Rome. Though the believers are mostly concentrated in India, they are also in the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia.
St. George Syro-Malabar Basilica, Angamaly. (Creative Commons)
The Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, which serves as the primatial see of the Syro-Malabar Church, is the residence of the Major Archbishop.
This Archeparchy has been at the heart of a persistent dispute regarding the method of celebrating the Eucharist, ritual commemoration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples.
The Synod, the supreme ecclesial authority of the Syro-Malabar Church, endorsed and mandated a compromise liturgical practice for the Eucharistic liturgy, known as the “Qurbana.”
While this decision was accepted by other dioceses within the Church, the Major Archeparchy has largely resisted compliance, resulting in conflict and occasional violence.
At the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, some priests and laypeople currently follow a tradition where the priest celebrates Mass facing the congregation, during the two main parts of the mass – the liturgy of the word and the Eucharistic prayer.
This differs from the mandate issued by the Synod of Bishops in 1999 which calls for a uniform mode of celebration and then in August 2021, which requires priests to celebrate Mass facing the altar during the Eucharistic prayer (ad orientem) and facing the people during the liturgy of the word.
Those who proposed the uniform mode is of the opinion that the decision to adopt ad orientem is meant to deepen the liturgical worship and connect the faithful more profoundly with the heritage.
They also urge the faithful to embrace this change with an open heart and spirit of communion.
However, the practice of facing the congregation is seen by dissenters as fostering a more participatory and inclusive atmosphere during the Mass.
They point out that this practice has historical roots within the Syro-Malabar Church, which traditionally had liturgical practices distinct from the Latin Catholic Church.
Initially, there was considerable confusion regarding the implementation of the new rule. Some dioceses believed they were granted a dispensation from the directive, allowing them to maintain their traditional practice.
However, subsequent clarifications from the Synod stated that dispensations were not applicable to entire dioceses, leading to further unrest and dissatisfaction among the clergy and the faithful.
However, the Pope is of the opinion that he has personally studied the issues involved, and he has written to them (the faithful in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archeparchy) several times in the past.
Pope Francis. (Wikimedia Commons)
In the 2023 video message, the Pope said he was addressing the faithful “in a slightly unusual way, so that no one may have any more doubts what the Pope thinks.”
Referring to the unrest, the Pope said, “I know that for years, some, who should be examples and true teachers of communion, mostly priests, have been pressing you (faithful) to disobey and oppose the decisions of the Synod.”
He further stated, “When discussions are not peaceful, they create violence.”
“The Church is communion. If there is no communion, then there is no Church. It would be a sect.”
He further cautioned the faithful, “I ask you to be careful! Be careful that the devil does not lead you to transform yourselves into a sect. You are churches, do not become a sect.”
Though the Pope, in the message, set an ultimatum that “Thus by Christmas, in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly as throughout the Syro-Malabar Church, may Qurbana be celebrated in communion according to the directions of the Synod,” the differences continued.
The pontiff’s warning that “…sanctions would be incurred. I do not want to reach that stage” also didn’t yield desired results from the dissenters.
Earlier, the Pope had sent an envoy, Slovak Jesuit Archbishop Cyril Vasil, to resolve the standoff.
The envoy made two visits – in August and December 2023 – to the state. They yielded no results.
In one such visit to the discussion about the compromise on the single form of the celebration of the Mass, Archbishop Vasil himself suffered acts of aggression by some of the faithful, as they threw various objects at him.
In a move that further escalated tensions, the Syro-Malabar Church issued an ultimatum in the form of a circular. The circular, dated 15 June, said a decision was made on 9 June.
The circular issued jointly by Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church Mar Raphael Thattil and Bishop Bosco Puthur, the Apostolic Administrator on 15 June. (Sourced)
The circular was jointly issued by Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church Mar Raphael Thattil and Bishop Bosco Puthur, the Apostolic Administrator, to the dissenting priests in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese.
The ultimatum demanded compliance with the new liturgical directive by 3 July or face expulsion from their clerical duties.
It stated, those who unwilling to follow the uniform mode by 3 July will get excommunicated. It was further directed that the circular should be read in all parishes on 16 June.
This has led to an outpouring of anger and defiance from the affected priests and their supporters.
To this, five bishops from the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese on 13 June came out with a dissent note and reminded the Major Archbishop to ‘reconsider the matter, and nor to create a great division in the Church.’
However, on 16 June, the activist group Alamaya Munnettam, which opposes the synod mass format, set the said circular on fire. While some threw the circular in water some others tossed it into waste bins.
Discarding the ultimatum, they reiterated that over 450 priests and all parish committees within the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese will continue with the practice of people-facing mass.
A section of the laity burning the circular. (Supplied)
“This ultimatum is a stark reminder of the Church’s unwillingness to engage in meaningful dialogue. We are being forced to choose between our conscience and our vocation. This is not the spirit of Christ’s teachings,” a member of the Almaya Munnettam told South First,
The member further added, “The way of imposition has caused great distress among our community. We feel our voices and our centuries-old traditions are being disregarded.”
He said as their connection to the Mass was deeply personal and spiritual, changing the way it has been celebrated felt like betrayal. “We stand with our priests in this struggle,” said him.
As the 3 July deadline approaches, the Syro-Malabar Church stands at a critical juncture.
Also, the potential expulsion of a significant number of priests could have lasting repercussions on the Church’s stability and unity.
Despite these appeals/threats and the Pope’s direct intervention, the future remains uncertain.
Turbulent times are ahead and the coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether the Church can heal its divisions and move forward in unity, as called for by Pope Francis.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
