Row over Mass: priests demand meeting with Syro-Malabar synod

They say meeting failed to materialise despite a clear assurance from synod, stage protest

The deadlock in the Syro-Malabar Church over whether to conduct the Mass facing the altar or congregation continued on Thursday as the consultative forum of the Ernakulam Angamaly archdiocese, mostly comprising priests, made it clear that they would step up the agitation against the Church leadership until their demands are met.

The representatives of the forum, who were asked to turn up at the Mount St. Thomas in Kakkanad where the synod of the Syro-Malabar Church was progressing, said in the evening that they could not meet the members of the synod despite getting a clear assurance in the afternoon.

“We have decided to remain here on a fast demanding that the members of the synod meet us,” they said. Representatives of the ‘Almeya Munnettam,’ a collective of lay people, staged a torchlight protest in front of the church headquarters.

Fast by priests

The differences over the celebration of the Mass had widened after 100-odd priests staged a fast in front of the residence of Cardinal George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, in the city on Wednesday to reiterate their demand that the archdiocese be allowed to continue with the tradition of celebrating the Mass facing the congregation the whole time and be given permanent exemption from a directive of the synod issued in last August in this regard.

The forum leaders had said earlier that any attempt to impose uniform Mass would be resisted. The situation had aggravated amidst the progress of the 30th synod of bishops of the Church at Mount St. Thomas in Kakkanad, near here.

The community of priests had earlier submitted a memorandum to the synod raising the same demand. The 30th synod, which began on January 7, will conclude on January 15 and the community of priests requested the bishops to consider the occasion as an opportunity to reconcile the differences of opinion on the celebration of the Mass.

‘Synod should quit’

Almeya Munnettam reiterated its demand that the spirit of the Second Vatican Council be preserved and the synod should quit. It had called for more transparency in church administration and demanded that the fully congregation-facing Mass be allowed in the archdiocese and alleged the Cardinal Alencherry was using the row to cover up other issues.