Fast continues against synodal decision on Mass celebration

Protest location shifted to Cardinal’s house

January 16, 2022 02:09 am | Updated 01:51 pm IST - KOCHI

The synod has decided that Mass should be celebrated with the priest facing the congregation for the first half and face away from the people for the rest of the ceremonies. Photo: Special Arrangement

The synod has decided that Mass should be celebrated with the priest facing the congregation for the first half and face away from the people for the rest of the ceremonies. Photo: Special Arrangement

Protest by groups of lay people and priests of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly under the Syro-Malabar Church continued on Saturday, with two lay persons and a priest continuing their fast in front of the Cardinal’s house in the city.

A spokesperson for lay people’s group Almaya Munnettam said the synod of bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church, which ended on Saturday, had not given any indication of making any communication, and two lay persons — Prakash C. John and N.O. Thomas — who were initially fasting in front of the headquarters of the Syro-Malabar Church at Kakkanad here, had shifted the location of their protest to the Cardinal’s house.

Father Tom Mullanchira continued his fast in front of the Cardinal’s house on Friday after the police arrested and shifted Father Babu Kalathil to a private hospital in the city.

Groups of lay people and priests have said there would be no compromise on Mass celebration.

The synod has decided that Mass should be celebrated with the priest facing the congregation for the first half and face away from the people for the rest of the ceremonies.

However, there has been a strident demand from the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese that the Mass be celebrated with the priest facing the congregation for the entire duration of the ceremonies.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.