Archbishop Cyril Vasil, Papal delegate to Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese arrived in Kochi on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, amid building tensions over a large group of laypeople and around 400 priests in the archdiocese possibly facing stringent action by Rome if they disobeyed the Syro-Malabar synod diktat on celebration of Mass.
The archbishop arrived here on the second phase of his mission in the archdiocese and was received at the airport by the new apostolic administrator of the archdiocese Bosco Puthur.
Pope Francis issued a warning last Thursday to members of the archdiocese to begin Mass celebrations according to the synod decision or face excommunication from the Catholic fold.