Jesuit traits in liturgical resolve of Syro Malabar Church

By Luke Edamana

Chicago, Dec 24, 2023: Pope Francis’ recent admonition (authoritative counsel) to Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese (E-A A) and restructuring the Syro Malabar Church (SMC) administration sounds Jesuitical.

Pope Francis and his delegate Archbishop Cyril Vasil happen also be be Jesuits. Who are Jesuits? They are a religious group (Order) in the Catholic Church. Of the three vows they take, the vow of Obedience stands out and much humored about its practicability. So much so each Jesuit must take a special fourth vow of Obedience to the Pope before his final Vows.

‘Water the dry stick’ is a Jesuit style of call to Obedience to a novice on an extreme end. A Jesuit superior’s Trump card on a stubborn subject will be ‘Under the vow of Obedience I order…,” and the subject will either shape up or ship out. The important thing is that it is productive in the longer run. It builds the body of Christ.

The Pope’s video message asserted his firm decision and directed the E-A Archdiocese to offer the unified method of Mass beginning this Christmas and added ‘obliged to obey.’ Although it is a challenging task or a bitter pill to swallow for E-A A, the practicality of this obedience will be comforting. Because there lies a Jesuit pick- i.e., you ‘can still represent’ after obeying. So, the provision of ‘continued negotiations with Rome’/ dialogue,’ extended by the Pope is a bait for E-A diocese. Take it.?

Jesuits’ trademark is ‘for the greater glory of God’ and it is achieved through discernment, through Ignatian Spirituality (St. Ignatius the founder of the Order) to do the apostolate in the Church.

The Pope and Archbishop Vasil- are firebrands on discernment. Discernment is being an expert at “sensing” in a context. In the Christian faith it comes from the Holy Spirit and is a way of having insight in determining the true nature of a situation, person or thing.

A classic example is the intervention of Archbishop Joseph Powathil that halted the meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India at Nagpur in 1984, where a Jesuit was called to guide a discernment process (meeting point between prayer and action) where the Holy Spirit favored for SMC status quo.

Ideally, this is what exactly should happen in the Church’s Synods. Informed decisions whether favorable or unfavorable; being detached, being open to the Truth and staying with it. Can we say proudly that today the displaced administration and E-A A have set a model of such compliance for the 5.5 million SM community?

Let us hope Pope Francis’ direction is to realize this Truth, which represents Christ whose spouse is the Church, where we all hold our hands and walk together. Let this Christmas night be a win-win situation for all the thirty-five dioceses. Merry Christmas!

(Luke Edamana is a former Jesuit theology student now settled in Chicago, US)