KOCHI: With the special synod of the Syro Malabar Church progressing in Kochi, 49 priests of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese Clergy Council have signed a petition and submitted it before the committee.
In the petition, the priests strongly deplored the decision of the Church higher-ups to convene the synod, which itself is the prime cause of all the problems plaguing the Archdiocese due to its decision to implement the Unified Holy Mass, without hearing the side of the canonical committees, priests and laity of the diocese.
The petition accuses the synod of misleading the Pope and not abiding by the guidelines formulated in the 2021 synod meet.
“Until and unless the synod rolls back its decision to implement the 50-50 formula, we will celebrate the Holy Mass only by facing the laity in the Archdiocese,” said the priests.
It should be noted that before the special synod was convened, laity forums of 16 Forane churches in the diocese had come together and called for the conduct of the Holy Mass facing the laity, said the petitioners.
The priests promised that if the synod takes a decision directly opposite to their demands, then they won’t be able to implement it in the archdiocese. Besides the liturgy issue, the synod should also resolve the land deal case. The priests and the laity also requested the synod to open St Mary’s Basilica for worship.