By Matters India Reporter

Kochi, July 26, 2022: The dispute over liturgy in the Syro-Malabar Church took a new turn July 26 with the reported resignation of Archbishop Antony Kariyil, metropolitan vicar of the archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.

According to reports, Archbishop Kariyil has tendered his resignation to Apostolic Nuncio to India Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli at the residence of the Ernakulam archbishop.

The archbishop’s resignation is believed to be the fall out of his inability to convince the priests and laity in the archdiocese to follow the uniform mode of celebrating Mass as mandated by the synod of the Syro-Malabar Church.

Official announcement to this effect has not yet been made.

The Syro-Malabar Church in August 2021 decided to implement a uniform Mass in all its 35 dioceses in India and overseas in a bid to find a permanent solution to the liturgical dispute and foster unity.

The dispute over the Eucharistic liturgy is more than four decades old. The Synod of Bishops in 1999 ruled that the priest “will face the congregation until the Eucharistic prayer, and then again from communion to the end of the Mass. From Eucharistic prayers until Communion, the priest will face the altar.”

The synod’s formula, seen as a compromise requires priests to face the congregation during the start and concluding parts of the Mass but face the altar during the Eucharistic prayer.

Barring the archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, all Syro-Malabar dioceses implemented the synod decision with effect from November 2021.

Archbishop Kariyil, however, could not implement the synod Mass in the wake of opposition from the priests and laity in the archdiocese.

The archbishop, according to Church sources, was summoned to nunciature in New Delhi on July 19 and was asked to tender his resignation the following day by Archbishop Girelli.

Archbishop Kariyil, however, disagreed with it and sought time on the plea that he wanted to inform Pope Francis about it as no reason was cited for demanding his resignation.

The nuncio, however, flew down to Kochi July 26 and finally got his resignation and returned to the national capital, sources in the Church told Matters India.

More than 90 percent of the priests and laity in the archdiocese, sources said, favoured the Mass in where the priest faces the people and Archbishop Kariyil supported it as he understood the sentiments of the people.

Now with Archbishop Kariyil’s exit, Church observers are worried about the reactions of priests and people in the archdiocese.

The nuncio met the archbishop to discuss the fissure in the Syro Malabar Church.