Syro-Malabar Church liturgy issue | Parishes abandon Sunday mass fearing disruption

Anticipation & anxiety over unified mass in Ernakulam-Angamaly Syro Malabar Church; two parishes abandon Sunday mass; Smayukta Sabha Samrakshana Samithy supports synod decision; 50 parishioners of St. Mary's Basilica camp inside church to foil synod mass; quarrel over priest facing people during mass; 50-year-old issue now biggest bone of contention in 5M-strong church; 326 churches in archdiocese support full people-facing mass.

Anxiety continues to persist among the faithful over how the issue of celebrating mass in the archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly of Syro Malabar Church will finally end even as Sunday mass was suspended in several parishes, including the St. Mary’s Basilica parish fearing tension between people.

Papal delegate to the archdiocese archbishop Cyril Vasil and apostolic administrator Andrews Thazhath had issued a warning to priests and laity to either celebrate the synod-imposed unified mass or face the prospects of going out of the Catholic church.

Fr. Antoney Puthavelil, rector of the Basilica church said the Sunday mass would not be celebrated amid tension. The mass is not for celebration with so much tension, he added.

The first signs of resistance to the papal delegate’s and apostolic administrator’s diktat came with two parishes — Kottakkavu St. Thomas Forane Church and Manjapra Holy Cross churches abandoning Sunday mass early Sunday after resistance from those who oppose the unified mass and, support a full people-facing mass as has been the practice in the archdiocese over more than 50 years.

A spokesman for Smayukta Sabha Samrakshana Samithy, a forum of lay people in support of the synod decision said that there would be no standoff with those who opposed the synod mass. If there is opposition from those who support a full people facing mass, the mass will be abandoned.

Around a hundred parishioners of St. Mary’s Basilica, the principal church of the archdiocese, camped inside the compound of the church determined to foil any effort by the rector of the basilica Fr. Antony Puthavelil to celebrate the synod mass.

The group was inside the compound from the early hours of Sunday even as the official mass had been scheduled for 9.30 a.m., sources said.