A recent circular by the Knanaya Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam that sought the laity living outside the jurisdiction of its Church missions to utilise “facilities of the Syro-Malabar Church” for sacramental requirements has triggered a wave of protest by a section of the community.
The brewing discontent came out in the open on July 23 when a section of the laity staged an open protest against the circular, issued by Archbishop Mar Mathew Moolakatt, across several parishes after the Sunday Mass.
Accusing the archbishop of attempting to take the Knanaya community under the authority of the Syro-Malabar Church, they warned of persisting with the protest till the circular was withdrawn.
Circular 302, on domicile and quasi-domicile status of the laity, held that those approaching the Kottayam archdiocese for sacramental requirements should furnish letters issued by the Knanaya priest (proper pastor) in their respective regions.
“Those living outside the jurisdiction of the various Knanaya missions, meanwhile, should utilise the Syro-Malabar Church systems for this purpose. They may also approach other individual Catholic Churches (Churches sui iuris) only if these two options are not available,” the circular read.
The circular, issued against the backdrop of a perceived confusion within the laity over the membership conditions in the Church, clarified that a change of domicile would not lead to the cancellation of membership in the Knanaya Church.
A section of the laity, however, maintained that the archbishop’s position was directly at odds with the exclusivity maintained by the Knanaya community among the Catholics in Kerala by practising endogamy.
“The circular flies in the face of an authority bestowed upon the Kottayam diocese to maintain personal jurisdiction of the entire Knanaya Catholic community. The Kottayam diocese had been established at least 12 years before the constitution of the Syro-Malabar Church in 1923,” said Shiby Pazhempillil, president of the Knanaya Samudaya Samrakshana Samithi, who is also an office-bearer of the Knanaya Catholic Congress.
The circular, according to him, is part of an attempt by the archbishop to buttress his objection filed in a civil court in Kottayam over a dispute pertaining to the membership of NRIs in the Church.
Commenting on the issue, Fr. Michael Vettikattu, Vicar General of the Kottayam Archdiocese, said the protesters were simply attempting to blow a trivial issue out of proportion.
“As it stands, the Knanaya Catholic Church is very much a part of the Syro-Malabar Church,” he said, while also pointing that the Vicariate for Syrian Christians in India was originally established in 1887.
