The Syro-Malabar Church has announced a resolution to a decades-long liturgy dispute in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly in India. Source: The Tablet.
Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, the head of the Eastern-rite Church, said that after meetings with dissident priests, some compromises had been agreed to as a practical means to usher in peace and “help us grow in mutual trust, unity in the Church, and reconciliation”.
Ernakulam-Angamaly, the Church’s largest diocese and its primatial see in its Kerala heartlands, has been divided over the imposition of the “uniform mode” of Holy Qurbana, the Syro-Malabar Mass. Clergy in the diocese insisted on continuing to celebrate versus populum, rather than partly ad orientem as the uniform mode requires.
A circular letter signed by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and his vicar for Ernakulam-Angamaly, Archbishop Joseph Pamplany, whom he had tasked with resolving the dispute, announced the compromise formula.
Noting that the archdiocese has suffered “great pains” over the liturgy dispute, Major Archbishop Thattil said both parties agreed that priests would celebrate one liturgy in the uniform mode on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. The new changes will take effect on Thursday, the feast of St Thomas the Apostle, who brought Christianity to Kerala.
Fr Kuriakose Mundadan, the secretary of the archdiocesan presbytery council, said the diocese’s priests and laity have “accepted the consensus formula” for restoring peace.
He said most of their demands had been met, including the disbanding of the present curia on July 3 and permission for newly ordained priests to celebrate the liturgy versus populum.
According to the circular, Fr Mundadan said, all 24 newly-ordained priests in the diocese would be granted dispensation from celebrating the uniform rite, taking into account the pastoral situation of the parishes. All had been ordained only under the condition that they would celebrate the uniform rite under a previous agreement with the hierarchy.
Fr Mundadan also reported that all administrators appointed over parish priests would be removed, while priests facing canonical actions linked to liturgy disputes will be “reconciled”, considering the relevant canonical provisions. Disciplinary action against all priests, except in two cases referred to the Special Tribunal, will be revoked.
He said the clergy were not concerned about the bishops reneging on their commitments as previously alleged, as the circular confirmed any existing issues would be amicably resolved through discussion.
FULL STOYR
Syro-Malabar Church declares end to liturgy dispute with new compromise (By Rita Joseph, The Tablet)
