Unified Mass row: Synod supporters burn circular from Major Archbishop, vicar before Syro-Malabar Church headquarters 

Catholic Nazrani Sangham protests against unified Mass in Syro-Malabar Church's Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, burning joint circular in protest.

The Catholic Nazrani Sangham, fiercely opposed to rebellion in the Syro-Malabar Church’s Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese and ardently supporting the official hierarchy and the synod of bishops, burnt a joint circular issued by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and his vicar for Archbishop Joseph Pamplany in protest against allowing both the synod-approved unified Mass and what they called the “schismatic mass” at the same altars in the archdiocese.

The circular was meant to be read out during the Sunday mass on March 2. But the sangham said the circular was a “failure” in its efforts to implement the unified Mass across the archdiocese.

The group also held a protest meeting before the headquarters of the archdiocese at St. Thomas Mount at Kakkanad after burning the circular.

The group spokesperson said that the official hierarchy had failed to bring uniformity in the Ash Wednesday celebrations. While the entire Syro-Malabar Church observed the day on Monday after the Pethratha Day, the archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly observed it as Ash Wednesday the following Wednesday. There should be uniformity in these observations, the group said.

The official archdiocesan hierarchy has faced opposition from the rebels as well as its supporters for differing reasons. The rebels described the joint circular as an imposition on them without bilateral discussions on various issues confronting archdiocese now.

The rebels also reiterated that unless the present archdiocesan curia was disbanded no discussions or reconciliation efforts would be possible on the mass issue.