The Syro Malabar Church on Monday issued an ultimatum to the dissenting
priests of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese to follow the Mass facing
the altar during the Eucharist prayer from July 1 or face expulsion from
the catholic church, in a move to end its deadlock over the uniform
Holy Mass issue in the archdiocese.
The strongly worded circular
jointly issued by the Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil and Apostolic
Administrator of the archdiocese Mar Bosco Puthur on Monday comes ahead
of the meeting of synod, the highest-decision making body, of the
Syro-Malabar Church, on June 14 in Kochi.
"We are officially
notifying that those who don't abide by this final diktat regarding the
offering of the Unified Holy Mass and continue to offer any type of Mass
other than the one directed by the synod even after July 3, will be
considered as having been ousted from the Catholic Church," said Mar
Thattil and Mar Puthur. These dissident priests who refuse to offer
Unified Holy mass will be barred, with no more further explanations,
from undertaking priestly duties, said the circular. The circular said
that this decision would apply to all priests celebrating Holy Qurbana
in the Syro Malabar Church.
Despite the Syro-Malabar Synod of
Bishops decree that the ad orientem tradition be uniformly followed
across all dioceses in August 2021, around 400 priests and lay people in
the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese has been refusing to follow the
synod-approved Mass that requires celebrants to face the altar during
the Eucharist prayer. All other archdioceses of the Syro-Malabar Church
have been following the uniform Mass with the exception of some churches
in the Archdiocese of Trichur.
The circular also directed the
Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese priests who have been posted in other
dioceses or gone for higher studies to submit a written undertaking to
the Apostolic Administrator before July 3 that they will abide by the
Synod decisions. "Those who fail to submit the undertaking within the
stipulated time will be barred from engaging in priestly duties," said
the circular. The higher authorities of the institutions where they are
working will be notified for further actions against them, added the
circular.
The circular also urged the laity to not attend any
form of Holy Mass other than the Unified Holy Mass. "The laity needs to
not attend any such Mass conducted by the priests dissenting Unified
Holy Mass," said the circular. The circular also cautioned the laity
that if they do attend the mass offered by the barred priests, then the
Sunday debt won't be deemed redeemed.
Also, the ritual like
marriage conducted by these barred priests will be considered null and
void, said the circular. "No priest will be eligible to engage in the
administration of the parishes or church institutions without the
approval of the diocese bishop," said the circular. Only those
seminarians and deacons of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese who give a
written statement that they will abide by the Synod decisions regarding
the Holy Mass will be allowed to get anointed as deacons or priests,"
pointed out the circular.
Mar Thattil and Mar Puthur lauded the
efforts taken by the priests and laity who have been steadfastly
standing by the Synod's decisions.
The circular also urged
the laity and the faithful not be ousted from the Catholic church after
being influenced by a handful of dissident priests and those with vested
interests.
Highlighting the decisions, the Major Archbishop and
the Apostolic Administrator said, "There is no change in the decision to
implement the Unified Holy Mass, that was arrived at by the Synod of
the Syro Malabar Church and as decreed by the Pope through various
letters and even a video message, in all the dioceses of the Church. As
per the Unified Holy Mass, the first half of the Mass will be conducted
facing the laity followed by the Anaphora ritual that will be conducted
facing the altar. The ritual of receiving the Holy Qurbana until the end
of the mass will be conducted facing the laity."
The circular
said cryptically that any disobedience to the decree of the Pope and
also the Bishop's Synod would pave the way for schism and hence face
ouster from the Catholic Church. "As the Pope said, 'where there is
obedience there is the church and where there is disobedience schism
develops'," said the circular.