Rebel group in Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese burns copies of circular on unified Mass

Almaya Munnettam (Lay People to the Fore), group in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church opposed to the synod-recommended Mass, rejected a circular issued by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and apostolic administrator Bosco Puthur on June 9 to implement the unified Mass in the archdiocese from July 3.

Almaya Munnettam (Lay People to the Fore), group in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church opposed to the synod-recommended Mass, rejected a circular issued by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and apostolic administrator Bosco Puthur on June 9 to implement the unified Mass in the archdiocese from July 3. The circular warned priests who did not follow the diktat to consider themselves being out of the Catholic communion.

The group also said it would prevent the circular from being read in parishes as scheduled for June 16. On the day, the circular would be set to fire outside the parishes, where they were to be read out during the Sunday Mass.

“We reject the circular issued by Mar Thattil and Puthur, threatening to oust all priests from the archdiocese,” said a statement issued by Almaya Munnettam spokesman Riju Kanjookkaran here on June 10 (Monday), hours after the official circular warning the priests was made public. No attempt to impose a decision on the Mass issue will be accepted as the archdiocesan synod is slated to meet here on June 14 to discuss it, the rebel statement said.

The rebel group also said its leaders and leaders of parishes would meet to suggest ways to resist any decision by the Church hierarchy to impose the unified Mass decision. One of the immediate decisions is to mention only the Pope’s name in prayers during the Mass after July 3 if the synod insists on implementing the unified Mass. It is a practice to mention the names of the bishops during the Mass.

Members of the rebel group also burnt copies of the circular in front of the bishop’s house after an emergency meeting on Monday, the spokesman added.