Decision to reopen basilica triggers protest by the faithful

A section of the faithful protested on Friday in front of the St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica, which has remained closed for 202 days following clashes between two factions over the way the Mass should be conducted, after the Church authorities announced the decision to reopen the basilica. 

A section of the faithful protested on Friday in front of the St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica, which has remained closed for 202 days following clashes between two factions over the way the Mass should be conducted, after the Church authorities announced the decision to reopen the basilica. 

A press note shared by the Syro-Malabar Church said that the decision to reopen the basilica, the principal church of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Church, was taken following a discussion between the archbishops delegated by the synod and the representatives of the basilica on June 14. However, no Holy Mass would be celebrated in the cathedral until the time the unified mass endorsed by the synod can be held.

The note also added that the vicar of the cathedral, Antony Narikulam, had promised that congregation-facing mass demanded by a section of the laity would not be held against the decree of the synod.

But soon after the announcement, the vicar, along with the trustees of the cathedral Babu Pullat and M.A. Joseph Manavalan, released a letter announcing their departure from the agreement made on June 14 on the ground that the parish council on June 15 had stuck to its original decision to only allow congregation-facing mass at the cathedral.

Almaya Munnettam, a group of lay people, also slammed the synod for not taking into confidence the priests and the laity of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese and said that the cathedral should not be opened in the hope of conducting unified mass as prescribed by the synod. On Friday evening, the protesters who gathered in front of the cathedral vowed not to allow synod-approved mass in the cathedral at any cost.