As Christians across Kerala celebrated Palm Sunday, the first day of the Holy Week, the Palm Sunday Mass and procession at the St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica, seat of the Syro-Malabar Church, in Kochi was held under heavy police protection.
Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop, led the Mass and the procession, but his vicar Archbishop Antony Kariyil did not join the Palm Sunday ceremonies. Dozens of police personnel were seen around the Basilica cathedral as the Mass was celebrated and the procession was held.
The Cardinal celebrated the Mass under the unified system in which the priest faces the congregation for the first half and then faces the Altar for the rest of the rituals. However, a large number of priests and laity in the archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabar Church are opposing the unified system because the archdiocese has been celebrating the Mass with the priest fully facing the congregation.
There is also a group that is in support of the unified system of Mass celebration. The synod of bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church had issued a diktat in August last year that the unified system of Mass celebration would come into effect with Easter this year. Though the archdiocese was granted an exemption from the synodal order by Metropolitan Vicar Archbiship Antony Kariyil, it has now been ordered that the unified system of Mass celebration would come into effect across the Syro-Malabar Church on Easter Sunday.
The police had feared there could be some trouble between those opposing and supporting the synodal decision before or after the Palm Sunday ceremonies. However, the celebrations concluded peacefully with both sides being present at the Mass.
Mathai Varkey Muthirenthy, general convener, Samyukta Sabha Samrakshan Samithi (forum for protection of the church), which is in favour of the unified system expressed optimism that the unified system would be adopted by Easter Sunday even as the samithi members have continued a relay hunger strike demanding the implementation of the unified system.
Riju Kanjookkaran of Almaya Munnettam (lay people’s council) claimed the vast majority of priests and parishes did not follow the synodal decision. The council congratulated Archbishop Kariyil, who did not join the Palm Sunday Mass and procession despite being in the Archbishop’s house in the city.
