The six-day meet of the council of bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church concluded at the Church headquarters at Kakkanad on Saturday without resolving the dispute over the way the Mass should be celebrated.
Though Church sources said discussions at the bishop-level would continue on the Mass issue, those opposed to a Synodal decision in August last year for a unified system said they were disappointed that the Synod “forgot” the issue totally.
The Synod of bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church said discussions on the unified Mass system would continue with those demanding a fully congregation-facing Mass. The Synod said the question of Mass celebration was discussed at the meeting of bishops, but regretted that no consensus had been reached on the issue.
Any discussion on the issue could take place within the framework of the Synodal decision to follow a unified Mass, said a communication.
There was hope that it would be possible to reach a deal with unified Mass being celebrated on Sundays at the St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica. It could have been possible for the Major Archbishop and other Synod members to celebrate the unified Mass on the last day of the Synod. However, differences persisted, the communication added.
The committee inquiring into the incidents inside the cathedral basilica on December 23 and 24 would send its report to Rome, and follow-up action would be taken on the basis of the recommendation from Rome. The Synod said Mass was used as a means of protest, and there was also abuse of sacraments.
The communication said it was the Synodal decision to go in for the unified Mass, and no one could defy the synodal diktat.
All eyes were on the Synod of bishops to resolve the issue that has created a deep chasm within the Church, particularly in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly. Protests over the Mass issue have spilled onto the streets, and led to fisticuffs at St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica, the principal church of the archdiocese.
“We are disappointed that the bishops forgot to discuss issues like the Mass celebration and violation of the blessed sacraments inside the basilica on December 23 and 24,” said a spokesman for Alamaya Munnettam, an organisation of lay people in the archdiocese opposed to the Synodal Mass, after the bishops’ meet.
Mass system
The difference of opinion is between those supporting the unified Mass system (a Synodal decision for the Syro-Malabar Church issued in August last year) in which the priest faced the congregation for the first half of the Mass and then turned away from them for the rest of the ceremonies, except when the concluding blessings are imparted. The opposing camp, comprising more vociferously a majority of lay people from parishes and forane churches and priests of the archdiocese, want the Mass to be celebrated with the celebrant facing the congregation for the entire duration of the ceremonies. This has been the practice for more than 50 years in the archdiocese.
Alamaya Munnettam with participation from priests has decided to go ahead with a rally and declaration of faith on Sunday to make reparations for the incidents at the cathedral basilica. The rally will be a “penance” for what the lay group leaders said was the abuse of sacraments.
Clash at cathedral
The incidents at the cathedral involved a group of people, allegedly led by cathedral administrator Father Antony Puthavelil, clashing with a group celebrating the Mass inside the church on December 23. However, Father Puthavelil denied any attempt to trigger unpleasant incidents or defy the sanctity of the church. But the group that is demanding that the archdiocese follow the full people-facing Mass has demanded the removal of the senior priest as well as apostolic administrator Archbishop Andrews Thazhath from their positions.
The three streams of rallies on Sunday, which are scheduled to converge at Marine Drive in the city, was postponed last week following negotiations with the Church authorities and prominent Church members ahead of the meeting of the bishops.
The Synodal proceedings started on January 9. Leaders of lay people and community of priests demanding the continuation of full congregation-facing Mass in the archdiocese met members of the committee inquiring into the incidents of December 23 and 24 on two occasions —January 9 and 12 — without conclusive results.
There was considerable expectation after the Synod said that there would be an announcement from the bishops. However, the announcement was that a new bishop-elect had been appointed for the Syro-Malabar diocese of Melbourne. Father John Panamthottathil from Thalassery diocese would succeed Bishop Bosco Puthur, said an official communication here.
