Major archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church Raphael Thatill has asked bishop Bosco Puthur, apostolic administrator of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, to submit an action plan to implement the unified Mass before April 25. The action plan is to be presented to the Church authorities in Rome in May.
An appeal to priests of the archdiocese by Thattil and Puthur at the assembly of priests on April 19 underlined the urgent need to implement the unified Mass at the earliest. Bishop Puthur said in the letter that the major archbishop had asked him to submit a plan of action by April 25 to prepare the way for the synod Mass adoption at the earliest.
The joint appeal to priests cited a letter from the Roman Congregation for Oriental Churches on March 26 warning those who did not use the last opportunity to reconcile would face disciplinary action under Church rules.
The joint letter from the Church hierarchy has since then triggered a demand from the rebel group to either be recognised as an independent metropolitan Church within the Roman fold but outside the Syro-Malabar hierarchy or to recognise the full people-facing Mass as a liturgical variant. The synod had recommended, on November 28, 2021, a Mass liturgy in which the priest did not face the congregation for the full duration of the ceremonies.
The rebels against the synod Mass have also warned that they will not give up the St. Mary’s Basilica, the Syro-Malabar headquarters Church in Kochi, or agree to a change of name from Major Archiepiscopal Church with the title of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
Meanwhile, the group of lay people in support of the official Church stand and the synod reiterated their demand that the rebels quit the Church on their own as they did not want to obey the orders of the authorities including the Pope. Spokesman of the Samyukta Sabha Samrakshana Samithi (joint forum for the protection of the Church) said the demand raised by the rebels had been repeatedly rejected by the authorities, and that the former should take that into consideration and leave the fold.