Kochi: Priests protesting the changes to Holy Mass in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese on Saturday rejected a new note from the synod of the Syro-Malabar Church, calling it an attempt to incite conflict in the parishes. The post-synodal note was released amidst a heated debate over a circular issued by the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church head Raphael Thattil on June 9, 2024, which gave an ultimatum to the priests to hold uniform Holy Mass in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese starting from July 3 this year.

Thattil and the Apostolic Administrator of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, Bosco Puthur, issued a post-synodal note on Friday addressing the priests and faithful in the archdiocese. In the note, the church authorities outlined a set of decisions made during a special online meeting of the Synod held on June 14 and 19. Among the decisions, the church reiterated that the circular issued on June 9 would remain in effect and all priests should conduct the mass in a standardized manner as previously directed.

However, it clarified that canonical punishment, as mentioned in the June 9 circular, would not be initiated against those priests who start performing at least one Uniform Holy Mass on Sundays and other significant days. This relaxation was given based on Pope Francis' directive to raise awareness about the Uniform Holy Mass, the post-synodal note further added.

The protesting priests, however, stated that the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese is rejecting the post-synodal note issued by Raphael Thattil and Bosco Puthoor. They accused Thattil and Puthoor of once again "deceiving" the priests and the entire faithful of the archdiocese. Instead of providing a solution to the stalemate, the note "ignites riot" through parishes in the wake of the Uniform Holy Mass issue, they alleged, adding that the priests and laity of the archdiocese do not accept it.

The priests further alleged that the post-synodal note was intended to enforce the Uniform Holy Mass throughout the entire Archdiocese. "This is a gross betrayal of the Archdiocese by the Major Archbishop and the Apostolic Administrator," they said. The dissident priests added that a complaint, signed by all priests of the archdiocese against the June 9 circular, has already been submitted to the higher authorities of the church, and they are moving forward with the strong conviction that the synod cannot take any action against them.

Recently, five bishops of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church expressed disapproval of a recent circular issued by their church head, which warned that priests in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese who protest against the changes to Holy Mass customs would be excommunicated. The bishops alleged that the circular "smacks of the middle-age culture of the Church." In the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, some priests and members of the church community disagree with the Syro-Malabar Church's August 2021 decision on uniform Holy Mass.

This decision mandated a standardized way of conducting Holy Mass, where priests face the congregation only at the beginning and end of the service, turning towards the altar for the rest of the Mass (known as the 50:50 formula). While most dioceses under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church have adopted this approach, many priests in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, along with their parishioners, continue to oppose it, arguing that it breaks from tradition, where the priest traditionally faces the congregation throughout the entire Mass.  PTI