By Varghese Alengaden

Indore, Nov 30, 2021: Bishops and priests have been teaching about the sacredness of Holy Mass and have made it central to all church functions.

The table fellowship which Jesus held as a farewell fellowship dinner was distorted as a complicated cult after the Jewish tradition. Throughout the public life of Jesus we never find Him performing any kind of cultic ritual. He went to the synagogues and Jerusalem temple to teach people, often against the cultic practices of the priestly class.

Jesus launched a spiritual Movement to liberate people from the exploitation of the priestly class with innumerable rituals and laws. He violated all laws and practices which did not make people spiritual. During the farewell dinner Jesus summarized all his teachings into one commandment: Love one another as I have loved you. Jesus criticized the special uniform of the priests and the high priests. He himself did not have any special clerical dress instead dressed like any laymen of his time. The uniform or identity Jesus gave to His disciples was love.

With the influence and patronage of kings and emperors the spiritual movement of Christ was converted to an institutional religion with a hierarchical structure, dogma and canon law. Commercialization and politicization distorted the new way of Christ.

The present divisions and conflicts related to offering Holy Mass in the Syro-Malabar Church has become a serious public scandal. The conflicts and debates have become so unchristian and worse than what happens among the politicians. Cardinal George Alencherry and his fellow bishops made a decision without taking into confidence hundreds of priests, religious and hundreds of thousands of laity. They forgot that the Synod of bishops is not the Church.

The Syro Malabar bishops have not understood the meaning of synodality. Archbishop Kuriakose Bharanikulangara of Faridabad archdiocese makes it clear in the following words. “Synodality presupposes the principle of subsidiarity. It cannot be dictatorial and imposing. In synodality there is no minority and majority- that happens only in parliament.”

Archbishop Antony Kariyil, apostolic vicar of Ernakulam – Angamaly archdiocese, had the courage to travel to the Vatican and meet Pope Francis to get clarification. Both these archbishops had the courage not to follow the dictatorship of Syro Malabar Bishops’ Synod.

By creating public scandal in the name of Holy Mass, the Synod of bishops and the priests committed a grave sin. Jesus is uncompromising about creating scandal. He has said firmly to all who cause scandal “to tie a large millstone around their neck and be drowned in the deep sea” (Mt. 18:6). For all the conflicts and scandals, Cardinal Alencherry and bishops in the synod are mainly responsible, and Christ wants them to resign from their posts and do penance for damaging the image of the Church. They have no moral right to continue with their pomp and paraphernalia. They have failed to keep their flocks together.

The conflicts on such a silly matter as facing the people or facing the altar have made Holy Mass unholy. Jesus has also spoken firmly to offer Holy Mass only after making peace and reconciliation. “If you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother and then come back and offer your gift to God” (Mt. 5:23-24). Reconciliation should be first and worship later.

According to St. Paul those who participate in the sacrament of Eucharist unworthily bring condemnation. Priests and high priests engaged in hatred and conflicts stand condemned. They have no right to offer Holy mass and preach the Gospel. The overzealous laity and religious, who are spreading hatred and hostility taking sides blindly, also have no right to participate in the Holy Mass. By their unworthy participation they make it unholy.

All who have caused the present scandal and conflicts for preserving a cult according to the Jewish tradition should listen to prophet Amos: The Lord says, “I hate your religious festivals; I cannot stand them! When you bring me burnt-offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; I will not accept the animals you have fattened to bring me as offerings. Stop your noisy songs; I do not want to listen to your harps. Instead, let justice flow like a stream and righteousness like a river that never goes dry” (Amos 5: 21-24).

The bishops who are causing conflicts and making public scandals don’t have sensitivity to people who suffer from excessive rain and floods. During the lockdown due to Coronavirus the bishops should have given leadership to open their churches and institutions to welcome the poor and the homeless. Such acts would be more meritorious than the cultic ritual they perform at the altar. Jesus had lambasted the priests and high priests of His time for their failure to be sensitive.

Jesus had presented the Good Shepherd as the model of leadership. How can the bishops call the police to the Church to protect themselves from their own people. Instead of following Christ they are betraying and insulting Him by such arrogance. Jesus presented the model of Good Shepherd who goes after the lost sheep leaving the ninety nine. As leaders, the bishops cannot be arrogant, egoistic and revengeful to any of their people. They should be the first to love and honor their adversaries.

If diversity is in the divine plan of God in the creation, why should the bishops insist on uniformity in celebrating Holy Mass. Imposing uniformity by law and force is not the way of Christ. That is the way politicians do because of their arrogance and the strength of the majority. On the other hand, participation and consensus would bring peace and fellowship.

Repent and return to the way of Christ. When political leaders are able to come together and settle conflicts, why cannot the bishops and priests follow the way of Christ. Instead of imposing the unified system of celebration of Mass, leave the option to each diocese and even to each parish.

If bishops and priests continue imposing the outdated and unproductive cultic rituals, very soon intelligent people would leave the Church to follow the way of Christ without priests. They would discover a religionless spirituality about which Jesus had told, “You will worship God in truth and spirit.” Hundreds of people follow this spirituality in Europe and other parts of the world.

People like Mahatma Gandhi, Baba Amte and many other saints had better vision and spirituality than many of the bishops, priests and religious who are worshipping in the security of the churches. They were much better disciples of Christ than the priests and preachers in the church.

Bishops, priests and religious who have caused much pain and scandal through conflicts have lost the moral right to offer Holy Mass.

(Father Varghese Alengaden is the founder director of the Indore-based Universal Solidarity Movement)