Syro-Malabar Church divided over ‘uniform’ liturgy

By Nirmala Carvalho

Mumbai: The Syro-Malabar Church on August 27 ended its nine-day synod, a scene of a new major clash over the liturgy.

It was held remotely because of Covid-19 pandemic.

The divisive issue has dragged on for more than 20 years and has involved, despite himself, Pope Francis, who had sent a letter to the Oriental Church in July.

Although the pontiff called for “a uniform mode of celebrating the Holy Qurbana,” for Father Paul Thelakat, former synod spokesman and editor of the influential Light of Truth magazine, the pontiff is also “bitterly against uniformity.”

The Syro-Malabar Church appears unable to leave behind divisions and conflicts over how to celebrate the Mass. Many priests, supported by the faithful, have asked the bishops not to introduce changes and force their hand with respect to decisions that require greater collegiality.

Some priests prefer to celebrate the service directly facing the faithful, others prefer to look at the altar, while some alternate.

According to several members of the community, any changes risk having disastrous effects, especially pastoral challenges are exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In an unusual display of unity, 466 priest in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, the second in importance in India, turned to the Vatican urging them to stop the bishops who want to impose a uniform vision of the liturgy, even going so far as directly criticize the leader of the Syro-Malabar church, Cardinal George Alencherry.

For Father Paul Thelakat, the last century has clearly shown that “the dictatorship of uniform thought ended up killing many, many people.” Catholicism is very different from uniformity because – as pope Francis said – it favors “unity in diversity”.

He notes that the pontiff “did not write a letter” in order to directly intervene in the controversy” but signed a letter that was produced to him. The Sino-Malabar synod “did not ask the pope for such a letter”, nor did it ask “for the imposition of uniformity”.

Furthermore, he adds, the apostolic nuncio himself has launched an appeal “for unity and not to cause divisions”.

At present, “there are no problems with the way Mass is celebrated. Variety adds color and beauty to the celebration” which is done “in various ways without any issue of disunity.”

“Synodality is not just listening to the members of the Synod, but talking and listening, which is a continuous process. In this [situation] I find a failure of synodality itself.”

For Father Thelakat, “The Eucharistic celebration is a dialogical language that must take into account different needs. When you talk, you don’t show your back to people. Face to face is communication and language. It is an ethical perspective. Ethics and hospitality are, to put it simply, a matter of being face to face.”

Source: asianews.it