The division in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church over mass liturgy does not appear to be healing, with the forum of priests Athiroopatha Samrakshana Samithi on Saturday condemning Archbishop Raphael Thattil for allegedly trying to close down some parish churches under the archdiocese.
The archbishop was helping shut down churches, claimed forum spokesman Jose Vailikodath here on Saturday. He said the Ernakulam Munsiff Court had ordered the closure of St. Martin’s and Matha Nagar churches. In an affidavit filed before the court, the apostolic administrator maintained that there was no problem if the churches were closed, claimed the priests, who are opposed to a synod order for a 50:50 mass against the widely celebrated full people-facing mass.
Fr. Vailikodath claimed that over two years, over 300 parishes in the archdiocese had been fighting for justice and truth. However, the apostolic administrator was being led astray by a group of bishops in the synod who were engaged in a conspiracy to sabotage peace, the forum alleged.
It also challenged the apostolic administrator to hold a survey of the Syro-Malabar Church on uniformity on the synod mass celebration. The forum said it clung to the freedom allowed by the Constitution of India to the minorities. The archbishop could not be allowed to violate those rights, the priests said.
