Pontifical delegate arrives in Kochi to find solution to liturgy dispute at Syro-Malabar Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly

On his arrival the Pontifical Delegate said that he would be holding a series of meeting with various delegations of the Syro Malabar Church and the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly. Earlier on December 11 the Special envoy of the Vatican, Archbishop Cyril Vasil had called on Pope Francis on the eve of his departure for Kerala.

The Syro-Malabar Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly has been the centre of an ongoing conflict concerning the way the Holy Eucharist is celebrated. A compromise liturgical practice was endorsed and imposed by the Synod - the highest ecclesial authority in the Syro-Malabar Church. The Major Archeparchy has largely refused to conform, leading to conflict,

According to Vatican News, the official news agency of the Holy See, Pope Francis on December 7 had sent a video message to the faithful of the Syro-Malabar Archeparchy, calling for an end to the divisions caused by this dispute over the celebration of the Eucharistic.

In his video message, the Pope appealed "In the name of the Lord, for the spiritual good of your Church, of our Church, I ask you to heal this rupture. It is your Church, it is our Church. Re-establish communion, remain in the Catholic Church!"

In particular, he called on priests to remember their ordination and the promises they made at the time, calling on them not to separate themselves from the Church, but to walk together with the Synod by implementing the liturgical decisions of the Synod by Christmas, 2023 reported Vatican News.

Archbishop Vasil, a Jesuit and former rector of the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, is currently Archbishop of Kosice in Slovakia for Catholics of the Byzantine Rite.

His visit to Kochi comes shortly after the resignation of Major Archbishop George Cardinal Alencherry, the head of the Syro-Malabar Church. The Cardinal had presented his resignation to Pope Francis on December 7. The Pope has since appointed a new Apostolic Administrator.

In August the Pontifical Envoy had visited the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly in an attempt to find a solution to the discussion about the compromise on the single form of the celebration of the Mass. This compromise has been accepted by all eparchies of the Syro-Malabar Church with the sole exception of the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly. During his visit in August, Archbishop Vasil had also faced protests by certain factions of the epichary.

This visit is seen as a final act by the Pope who has given the Epichary a deadline of Christmas of 2023 to accept the Synodal Decision on the celebration of the liturgy. (ANI)