Kochi, Amid the growing Holy Mass controversy in the Syro-Malabar Church, the Secretary of the Presbyteral Council of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese has sent a letter to all the Archbishops and Bishops of the Latin Catholic Church, seeking their intervention in the matter.
In his letter on Monday, Father Kuriakose Mundadan, secretary of the presbyteral council of the archdiocese, alleged that the circular issued by the Major Archbishop and Apostolic Administrator of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese threatened protesting priests of the archdiocese if they Then they will be ostracized from the society. Do not celebrate the same holy month or synodal month until July 3, 2024.
The letter urges the archbishops and bishops of the Latin Catholic Church in India to intervene, saying that although the Syro-Malabar Church is a self-governing church under the Pope, "when a series of events in that Church become so condemnable , you have to rethink the image of the Catholic Church and your responsibility to the Church."Both the Latin Church and the Syro-Malabar Church are autonomous (sui iuris) churches within the Catholic Church, united under the authority of the Pope.Speaking about the rising tensions in the Church over the Holy Mass controversy, the letter said, the situation reached a tipping point on June 16, 2024.
The letter stated that the circular of the Major Archbishop and Apostolic Administrator was read in only 10 of the 328 churches, filial churches and Holy Mass centers within the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly. In several parishes, the faithful responded by burning the circular in protest. Given the strong dissatisfaction with the directive, it states that "the time has come to think about these reactions in the Catholic spirit."
It claimed that on June 4, 2024, the office of the Major Archbishop at Mount St. Thomas announced an online meeting of Syro-Malabar bishops on June 14 to discuss a similar Mass in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
The letter said some synod members were warned of possible objections regarding the excommunication of priests who do not follow the rules.The letter comes days after the Syro-Malabar Church issued an ultimatum to priests who do not follow its direction to conduct uniform Holy Mass in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese starting from July 3 this year.
The warning was issued through a circular signed by church head Raphael Thattil and Apostolic Administrator of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese Bosco Puthoor. Thattil is also the principal archbishop of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese.
Protests were witnessed by a section of the laity against the ultimatum issued by the Syro-Malabar Church regarding the implementation of a uniform Holy Mass in various Catholic churches under the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese here on Sunday. In its letter to the priests of the Latin Church In, Father Mundadan further alleged that a draft of the Synod's decisions was leaked on social media before the meeting and in response, Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thatil and Bishop Bosco Puthur issued official circulars that night.The letter claimed that there were objections to the early release of the circular during the online synod on June 14, so the meeting was rescheduled for June 19, 2024.
In his letter, Father Mundadhan also criticized the handling of the situation by the former Apostolic Administrator of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, Archbishop Andrews Thazath, accusing him of abusing his power and misleading Pope Francis about religious issues within the archdiocese. It said the case against Archbishop Andrews Thazath was filed in the Superior Tribunal of the Syro-Malabar Church on June 14, 2024.
The complaint, supported by a report presented by Archbishop Thazath to Pope Francis on October 9, 2023, alleges unethical conduct and misinterpretation of the situation in the archdiocese.
The letter claims, "It is hardly surprising, given Archbishop Andrews Thjath, that the exact words of retribution and punishment find place in the joint circular, which the current Major Archbishop signed with Apostolic Administrator Bosco Puthur Are.“The Syro-Malabar Church has not officially reacted to the latest developments.
A section of priests and lay people of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese is in disagreement with the leadership of the Syro-Malabar Church over the decision of its Synod to introduce a standardized way of conducting Mass in August 2021.
According to a 2021 decision of the Syro-Malabar Church Synod, priests will have to face the faithful only in the first and last parts of the religious service, turning to the altar for the rest of the Mass (50:50 formula). While most dioceses have has adopted the Synod-approved Mass, most priests in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, supported by their laity, continue to oppose it, citing a departure from the tradition where the priest faces the congregation throughout the Mass.
In his letter on Monday, Father Kuriakose Mundadan, secretary of the presbyteral council of the archdiocese, alleged that the circular issued by the Major Archbishop and Apostolic Administrator of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese threatened protesting priests of the archdiocese if they Then they will be ostracized from the society. Do not celebrate the same holy month or synodal month until July 3, 2024.
The letter urges the archbishops and bishops of the Latin Catholic Church in India to intervene, saying that although the Syro-Malabar Church is a self-governing church under the Pope, "when a series of events in that Church become so condemnable , you have to rethink the image of the Catholic Church and your responsibility to the Church."Both the Latin Church and the Syro-Malabar Church are autonomous (sui iuris) churches within the Catholic Church, united under the authority of the Pope.Speaking about the rising tensions in the Church over the Holy Mass controversy, the letter said, the situation reached a tipping point on June 16, 2024.
The letter stated that the circular of the Major Archbishop and Apostolic Administrator was read in only 10 of the 328 churches, filial churches and Holy Mass centers within the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly. In several parishes, the faithful responded by burning the circular in protest. Given the strong dissatisfaction with the directive, it states that "the time has come to think about these reactions in the Catholic spirit."
It claimed that on June 4, 2024, the office of the Major Archbishop at Mount St. Thomas announced an online meeting of Syro-Malabar bishops on June 14 to discuss a similar Mass in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
The letter said some synod members were warned of possible objections regarding the excommunication of priests who do not follow the rules.The letter comes days after the Syro-Malabar Church issued an ultimatum to priests who do not follow its direction to conduct uniform Holy Mass in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese starting from July 3 this year.
The warning was issued through a circular signed by church head Raphael Thattil and Apostolic Administrator of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese Bosco Puthoor. Thattil is also the principal archbishop of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese.
Protests were witnessed by a section of the laity against the ultimatum issued by the Syro-Malabar Church regarding the implementation of a uniform Holy Mass in various Catholic churches under the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese here on Sunday. In its letter to the priests of the Latin Church In, Father Mundadan further alleged that a draft of the Synod's decisions was leaked on social media before the meeting and in response, Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thatil and Bishop Bosco Puthur issued official circulars that night.The letter claimed that there were objections to the early release of the circular during the online synod on June 14, so the meeting was rescheduled for June 19, 2024.
In his letter, Father Mundadhan also criticized the handling of the situation by the former Apostolic Administrator of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, Archbishop Andrews Thazath, accusing him of abusing his power and misleading Pope Francis about religious issues within the archdiocese. It said the case against Archbishop Andrews Thazath was filed in the Superior Tribunal of the Syro-Malabar Church on June 14, 2024.
The complaint, supported by a report presented by Archbishop Thazath to Pope Francis on October 9, 2023, alleges unethical conduct and misinterpretation of the situation in the archdiocese.
The letter claims, "It is hardly surprising, given Archbishop Andrews Thjath, that the exact words of retribution and punishment find place in the joint circular, which the current Major Archbishop signed with Apostolic Administrator Bosco Puthur Are.“The Syro-Malabar Church has not officially reacted to the latest developments.
A section of priests and lay people of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese is in disagreement with the leadership of the Syro-Malabar Church over the decision of its Synod to introduce a standardized way of conducting Mass in August 2021.
According to a 2021 decision of the Syro-Malabar Church Synod, priests will have to face the faithful only in the first and last parts of the religious service, turning to the altar for the rest of the Mass (50:50 formula). While most dioceses have has adopted the Synod-approved Mass, most priests in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, supported by their laity, continue to oppose it, citing a departure from the tradition where the priest faces the congregation throughout the Mass.
