Latest news with #Syro-MalabarChurch
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Unified Holy Mass: Circular read out in most parishes of Ekm-Angamaly archdiocese
Kochi: Syro-Malabar Church's circular outlining a set of guidelines to resolve the row over implementing the uniform mode of Holy Mass in Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese was read out in churches on Sunday. The circular was issued with a directive to be read out during Sunday mass on June 29. The priests of the archdiocese, who were on a warpath with the official leadership, would ignore circulars from bishops until recently. However, the latest circular was read out in most churches, sources said. As per an agreement following discussions, the Church appointed a new curia for the archdiocese. Fr Jimmy Poochakatt, Fr Anto Cheramthiruthi, Fr Jose Puthiyedath, Fr Antony Vazhakala, Fr Paul Meledath and Fr Thomas Vaikathuparamban are the new curia members. According to the circular, a unified Holy Mass should be offered in all parish churches on Sundays and other days of obligation. This arrangement is to commence on July 3, starting from the feast of Dukrana. The uniform Holy Mass should be conducted between 5.30am and 10.30am or between 3.30pm and 6.00pm. In all churches and during all Masses, a Bema should be used as prescribed in the Holy Mass text too. The circular promised that the issues concerning priests, currently subject to disciplinary actions, would be amicably resolved considering canonical legal possibilities.
Time of India
27-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Syro-Malabar Church issues norms to resolve row over uniform Mass
Kochi: Syro-Malabar Church issued a circular with a set of guidelines to resolve the row over implementing uniform mode of Mass in Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese. As per the circular, a unified Holy Mass will be offered in all parish churches on Sundays and other days of obligation. This arrangement is to commence on July 3 with the feast of Dukrana. The said uniform Holy Mass should be conducted between 5.30am and 10.30am or between 3.30pm and 6.00pm. In churches with only one Mass on Sundays, an additional Mass should be offered in the unified mode, either as second Mass or on alternate Sundays. Until synod decides, the existing Mass schedule will continue to be valid in parishes/churches of Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese. In all churches and during all Masses, a Bema should be used as prescribed in the Holy Mass text. Currently, when the major archbishop and his vicar visit churches in the archdiocese, the Holy Mass is offered in uniform mode. Other bishops visiting parishes for spiritual needs of family members and relatives should also be provided the opportunity to offer Holy Mass in the unified mode. Newly ordained priests, who have taken an oath to offer Holy Mass in an unified manner, are obliged to do so but considering pastoral needs, the major archbishop has the discretion to grant dispensation from this duty according to Canon law (CCEO c. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo 1538). If the pastoral situation in parishes requires it, newly ordained priests can submit a written request for dispensation, which will be evaluated by the archdiocesan head. Issues concerning priests, currently subject to disciplinary actions, will be amicably resolved considering canonical legal possibilities. In churches where Holy Mass is being offered only in unified manner, this practice will continue. Any existing issues in these churches will be amicably resolved through discussions. The current curia members of Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese will transition to new responsibilities starting July 3, in light of this arrangement being implemented, the circular said. Meanwhile, the special tribunal for archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, constituted in the wake of disciplinary violations in the archdiocese, is going ahead with its actions. The tribunal issued a decree on Thursday directing Archbishop Joseph Pamplany to evict Fr Varghese Manavalan from the office and presbytery of St Mary's Cathedral Basilica expeditiously. The tribunal also decreed that Fr Manavalan be removed from the newly constituted presbyteral council immediately.
The Hindu
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
One Church, One Mass movement members lay siege to Syro-Malabar Church headquarters in Kerala
Members of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church, under the banner of One Church, One Mass movement, laid siege to Mount St. Thomas, the headquarters of the Church, on Thursday (June 19, 2025) morning seeking the resignation of Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil and Vicar of the Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany. Alleging that the two were taking 'an anti-Church stand', the protestors said the duo also permitted priests facing 'disciplinary action' to attend a meeting of priests being held on the day at Renewal Centre at Kaloor. The protestors blocked the two Church leaders in front of Mount St. Thomas. The members further alleged that the Church leadership failed to implement the directives of a special tribunal that had been set up as instructed by the Vatican. In this situation, the Synod of the Church must be dismissed and administrator rule be introduced by the Vatican, according to a release. A section of women members of the Church have in turn laid siege to the Major Archbishop's house, it added.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Church condemns forest dept's actions in Thommankuthu
Kochi: The Syro-Malabar Church issued a strongly worded statement denouncing the forest department's alleged high-handedness and encroachments on private land in Thommankuthu, . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Church expressed grave concern over what it described as an unprecedented level of anti-people behaviour by forest department. The controversy stems from an incident on April 12, when forest officials allegedly demolished a cross erected on private land in Naranganam. According to Syro-Malabar Church, this was done despite a report from Thodupuzha Tahsildar stating that the cross was outside forest boundaries. According to Church's statement, issued in response to ongoing tensions, forest officers have been visiting the homes of locals who legally own the land under revenue records and issuing them notices demanding they appear before range officers within 15 days. Church condemned this as harassment of innocent citizens living on legally acquired land. "The demolition of the cross itself was a violation and now, instead of rectifying their actions, the forest officials are targeting those associated with it," the statement read. It questioned whether the issue is being ignored by state govt because it involves Christian symbols and community members, and accused the forest department of operating without accountability. The statement also pointed to the broader context of public protests, including a farmers' rally organized by All India Kisan Sabha, a CPIM-affiliated body, which recently laid siege to the forest department headquarters. Calling the current scenario 'a form of state-sponsored terror', Church demanded immediate govt intervention. It urged Kerala's civil society to stand in solidarity with the people of Thommankuthu.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Chaos erupts in Kerala as Syro-Malabar Church faces internal conflict ahead of Pope election
As the conclave of Catholic cardinals to elect a new pope was set to begin in Rome, ugly scenes were unfolding at a bishop's office in Kerala. Archbishop Joseph Pamplany of the Syro-Malabar Church , the largest communion of Catholics outside the Western church and a major group of Christians in India, was heckled, threatened and insulted by a group of the faithful on May 6. Pamplany was recently tasked with ending hostilities between two warring factions. The unruly incident of May 6 was the latest in a series of disruptions that often spiralled into violence, verbal abuse and toppling of altar tables. All of this has been unfolding in the context of a broader shift in the political and demographic heft of the church in Kerala, having triggered a realignment of the Christian voting bloc away from its traditional orientation. This has national implications, catalysing the rise of BJP as a third front in a state where it struggled for decades. Winning in Kerala is key to its ambition of being seen as a truly national party. Beyond political implications, the scuffle, scrimmage and skirmishes are reducing the Church's appeal to a younger generation, throwing into doubt the long-term future of one of Kerala's, and India's, most economically advantaged minorities. The face-off St Mary's Basilica in Kochi is a major spiritual centre of the Syro-Malabar Church. For the past 900 days, the Basilica, believed to have been constructed in 1112, has not seen Holy Mass, the most important prayer ritual for Catholics, being performed. Instead, it witnessed fights and police action. So, what is the mess all about? The Syro-Malabar Church, which claims to have 5 million followers, is the largest in India. Among autonomous congregations under Roman Catholicism—those outside the direct rule of the pope but owe allegiance to him—it is the largest. Members of this Church take pride in its apostolic origins. They believe St Thomas, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, landed on the Kerala coast and baptised their forefathers in the first century AD. This community, known as Nasranis or St Thomas Christians, pre-existed European colonialism, which fuelled evangelisation in South Asia. A large fraction of them came into the Catholic fold in the 17th century under the Portuguese influence and came to be known as the Syro-Malabar Church. The present crisis stems from differing views on how Mass is celebrated. As an autonomous church within Roman Catholicism, the Syro-Malabar Church's council of bishops or synod has the power to decide on the liturgy—the rituals that make up worship. In 2021, the synod decided that the priest, during Mass, would face the altar throughout barring the introductory prayer, Bible reading and conclusion. Whether the priest should face the altar or the congregation during Mass has been a touchy topic for aeons. Given its potential to create disquiet, each diocese was given a choice on the matter, until 2021. A little liturgical history here. The Catholic mass celebration was altar-facing across the globe until the reformist second Vatican Council of 1962-65, which changed it, encouraging increased participation of people and allowing for vernacular languages. St Thomas Christians traditionally used Syriac—an ancient dialect of Eastern Middle Aramaic—for worship owing to their connections with the Church of East. But in 1965, in step with the global Catholic Church, the Syro-Malabar Church departed from its age-old, altar-facing Mass in Syriac and adopted a new, people-facing Malayalam liturgy. This was not agreeable to a section of the clergy, who argued this was against their distinct heritage and culture. This school of thought, called 'Chaldeanism', has remained dormant for decades. This faultline suddenly became a trigger for public acrimony and law and order problems after the August 2021 synod. The epicentre of the rebellion against the synod's decision is the ErnakulamAngamaly Archdiocese, Kerala's largest, with 655,000 members. A vast majority of the 469 priests and the faithful spread across 220 parishes vociferously protested the new diktat. The rebel priests and the faithful under the banner Archdiocese Protection Forum have since frequently clashed with prosynod priests and their supporters, each disrupting the celebration of Mass by the rival faction. 'Except one, every priest in this diocese is ideologically against the altar-facing Mass,' says Fr Augustine Vattoli, a rebel priest. Crucially, they also allege that the hasty enforcement of liturgical uniformity is a diversionary tactic. Questionable deals The allegation is that the changes were designed to take the public's attention away from a financial scandal. Fingers are pointed at Cardinal George Alencherry , their former head priest, who resigned, citing ill-health, in December 2023. Two weeks ahead of the synod decision, Kerala High Court had ordered that Cardinal Alencherry should stand trial in all cases linked to certain land deals that shook the Syro-Malabar Church in 2018. Priests and the laity had raised questions about these transactions. A panel appointed on their insistence found that the land deals resulted in a loss of `90 crore for the diocese. Alencherry had to step away from diocesan affairs and Bishop Jacob Manathodath was appointed as the administrator, who brought in KPMG for a forensic audit. The confidential KPMG report, which ET has reviewed, highlights lack of transparency, absence of due deliberations, contradictions in the cardinal's statements and process lapses in transactions. Sabu Jose, a prominent pro-Alencherry voice, dismisses any suggestion of a crisis in the Church. 'A small group of people with vested interests create trouble. Their objective was to stop the Syro-Malabar Church from becoming a patriarchate,' he says. Patriarchate is the highest status for a church within Roman Catholicism. Jose says the rebel priests who do not want to see Alencherry as a powerful bishop patriarch have unleashed a smear campaign. 'These priests did not even listen to Pope Francis who pleaded with them to align with the synod's decision on liturgy,' says Jose. Alencherry is still embroiled in at least half-a-dozen cases. After the adverse High Court verdict, he approached the Supreme Court, seeking exemption from appearing in land-related cases. His petition was dismissed. A few months later, the SC also dismissed his appeal, seeking the quashing of criminal proceedings. ET's mail to the PRO of the Syro-Malabar Church has remained unanswered at the time of going to press. Will the pope intervene? After the synod's decision and the subsequent hullabaloo, the alleged land irregularities, enquiries and court cases have seemingly faded from public memory. Earlier this year, the synod appointed Archbishop Pamplany as a mediator to resolve the liturgical dispute. On May 7, Pamplany faced the ire of a group who alleged that he was lenient towards the rebelling priests. Earlier, Pope Francis tried but could not bring harmony, having appealed to the congregation through a video message in December 2023. His successor Leo XIV began his papacy by saying, 'Peace be with you all.' Can he bring peace to the Syro-Malabar Church? He had visited Kerala many years ago as Father Robert Prevost, head of the Order of St Augustine. In many issues, including matters of liturgy, the Vatican's scope of intervention has some limitations due to the autonomous nature of the Syro-Malabar Church. However, his stature and the initial enthusiasm around the new pope could help Leo XIV stop a likely split in the SyroMalabar Church, the first in four centuries. State of the Church All of this is unfolding at a time when the broader Christian community is plagued by multiple problems. Some worries stem from new socio-economic realities. The spurt in migration to western countries and low birth rate have hit its numerical strength. About 5% of the faithful have migrated to North America, Australia and Europe. They are unlikely to return. The late demographer KC Zachariah had predicted that the community would enter zero population growth rate or negative population regime, terming it the 'Parsi Syndrome,' a reference to a similar dwindling that happened in that community in India. Then there was a sexual abuse case involving Bishop Franco Mulakkal. Although Mulakkal and the nun who accused him of rape were under the Jalandhar diocese, which is not part of the Syro-Malabar Church, they were born in this community. Five nuns staged a fortnight-long sit-in protest, demanding investigation against Mulakkal. He was jailed and later acquitted by court. He subsequently resigned. A section of the Catholic Church has also raised the spectre of 'love jihad'. This has led to the creation of a BJP-leaning group called the Christian Alliance for Social Action (CASA), which led to tensions with Muslims, damaging the communal harmony that long existed in Kerala. The Church traditionally balanced their relationship with the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the CPM-led Left Front fairly well. That, too, is changing. The first Lok Sabha victory for BJP from Kerala was partly attributed to Christian support. BJP's film star candidate, Suresh Gopi, won in Thrissur, which has around 3 lakh Christian voters. George Kurian, BJP's other Malayali Union minister, happens to be a Syro-Malabar Catholic. That is a lot of moving parts for Kerala's Christians. For starters, the new pope could do well by fixing the Syro-Malabar problem.
