The third meeting of the 31st synod of bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church ended at the church headquarters at St. Thomas Mount, Kakkanad, on Saturday.
The synod began on Monday in the midst of speculations about the bishops finally taking a call on the long-drawn liturgical controversy in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
The synod was addressed by papal delegate to the archdiocese Cyril Vasil, who failed to make an impression on the rebel group, who continues to reject the synodal diktat on unified Mass. The rebel group headed by the lay people’s forum — Alamaya Munnettam — organised a meeting of parish councils on Friday reminiscent of the old practice of local church affairs being decided by the parish councils or ‘Palliyogam’.
A communication from Alamaya Munnettam said the meeting passed a resolution demanding that the archdiocese remain an independent metropolitan church following the Syro-Malabar rite within the Catholic church under the Pope even as during the course of the synod, bishops also made a joint and fervent appeal to lay people and clergy to follow the unified Mass.
Action against rebels looks likely as both the papal delegate and apostolic administrator Andrews Thazhath asked them to follow the synodal decision or leave the Church. The synod of bishops said in the appeal that rejection of the papal delegate and disobedience to him led to “painful action”.
The bishops’ meeting also appointed a nine-member committee headed by Bishop Bosoco Puthur to continue talks with the rebel group, which has been warned that it is bound to abide by the appeal of Pope Francis on unified Mass.
The synod, on the last day of its meeting, also announced the election of Father Mathew Nellikunnel as the Bishop of the Gorakhpur Diocese in Uttar Pradesh. He will replace retiring bishop Thomas Thuruthimattam.
