Mass row: demands of anti- and pro-Synod groups in Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese grow louder 

Groups of lay people in support of the Synod of Bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church and those opposed to the Synod in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdioscese have grown shriller in their respective demand related to implementing the Synod decision on unified Mass liturgy.

The group in support of the Synod of Bishops and demanding unified Mass in the archdiocese organised a protest before the Syro-Malabar Church headquarters at St. Thomas Mount, near Kochi city, on Sunday. The protesters, under the banner ‘Vishwasi Koottaima’ (Forum of Believers) erected a temporary hut before St. Thomas Mount and raised the demands for implementation of the Synod Mass, and expulsion of bishops who allegedly conspired against the Synod on the Mass issue and others who allegedly forged documents.

The general convenor of the forum M.P. George said that their demands included expulsion also of priests who celebrated the Mass in a scandalous manner inside the St. Mary’s Basilica Church, the seat of the archdiocese.  He said that the 216 priests in the archdiocese who had been included in the list of those who defied the Synod decision on unified Mass despite an official church circular on June 9 should be expelled from the church. An announcement to that effect should be made before the next Synod of Bishops, the group demanded.

Meanwhile, the lay people’s forum in the archdiocese (Almaya Munnettam), opposed to the Synod decision recommending the unified Mass liturgy, claimed that the Syro-Malabar Church Assembly, scheduled from August 22 in Pala, was invalid and against the rules. The group claimed that the convening of the Assembly had been hidden from the faithful though it was the only forum where each of the members of the Syro-Malabar Church could express her or his opinion on various issues, said Riju Kanjookkaran, convenor of Almaya Munnettam.

Almaya Munnettam had earlier said that it would not accept the unified Mass as a regular feature of the archdiocesan celebrations of the sacrament and that the unified Mass being said on solemn days would be an adjustment to the Synod demand.