Synod member bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church must come forward to mark the beginning of the eight-day Lent on Sunday with a concelebrated unified Mass at St. Mary’s Basilica, Ernakulam, the seat of the Church.
By celebrating the unified Mass, the bishops can set the process in motion for adoption of the synod-prescribed unified Mass in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, said a group calling itself Alamaya Sabdam, voice of the laity.
The unified Mass celebration will also end the dispute over Mass liturgy in the archdiocese, said group spokespersons Biju Paul Nettikkadan and Davis Chooramana in a statement on Saturday. The concelebrated unified Mass will also be a strong message of unity in the Church, they added.