By Jessy Joseph

New Delhi, Nov 9,2021: Faridabad, one of the Syro-Malabar dioceses facing troubles over mode of offering Mass, has suggested a new formula to bring peace.

However, a laity group that leads the protests, dismisses the formula as unacceptable.

The formula was suggested in a December 4 circular Archbishop Kuriakose Bharanikulangara after protests by laity led to closure of some churches in the diocese that covers the national capital and a few northern Indian states.

The formula says all 35 parishes in the diocese should start the mode proposed by the Synod from December 12. The former Vatican prelate said he took the decision after taking into account the sentiments of the faithful in his diocese.

However, he wants parishes with more than one Mass on Sundays to offer one of them facing the congregation.

The same is the case on weekdays in parishes with two Masses.

“The compromising formula is to include both sections of the faithful,” Archbishop Bharanikulangara told Matters India on December 9.

The diocese witnessed protests by the Delhi Syro Malabar Laity Forum to implement the new form of offering Mass decided by the bishops’ synod.

The protests began after Archbishop Bharanikulangara failed to implement the synod decision in parishes on November 28, the first Sunday in the Advent.

Although the synod has given dioceses time until April 17, 2022, to implement its decision, the protesters in Faridabad insisted complying with the synod decision from November 28.

The archbishop said he has come up with compromising formula after a series of meetings and talks with laity representatives.

K R Biju, treasure of the protesting laity movement, claims only “a tiny minority in the diocese opposes the synod decisions. “The majority of people want the uniform Mass,” he told Matters India.

In some parishes priests refused to celebrate liturgy on Sunday. “We have made arrangements for online Masses in those churches,” said Biju, who said his group is “not completely happy with the new formula.”

He also said the laity movement is against having two types of Mass in the diocese, “We hope gradually the diocese will completely implement the new form of Mass,” he added.

Mathew P J, a lay leader who attends Mass daily, says the two forms of celebrating Mass will divide people in a diocese.

Meanwhile, Father Frijo Tharayil, the diocese’s public relations officer, sees “a hidden agenda” behind the protests.

The protest, he told Matters India, “is a motivated campaign against the archbishop to tarnish his image.”

He says the protesters want the archbishop to go back or resign from the post. “They do not want an amicable solution to the problem,” he asserted.

The priest said the protests have led to cancellation of Mass in eight parishes while some 20 parishes forced the priests to offer Mass as decided by the synod – face the congregation at the beginning and end and turn to the altar during the Eucharistic prayer.

The rest of the parishes would celebrate Mass in the existing form – facing the congregation throughout – until December 12, Father Tharayil said.