KOCHI: Churches are becoming more progressive, especially in the case of Syrian Orthodox churches, such as the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church. Until recently, nearly all the rituals associated with the church were tailored, giving prominence to male members. However, changing times have forced the church to reconsider archaic rules.
In a major progressive step, the church has issued a circular notifying the Synodal decision to change the age-old tradition of only allowing male infants to be taken to the altar for blessing after baptism.
According to Kuriakose Mor Theophilos, chairman of the Jacobite Syrian Church media cell, until now, baby girls were not taken into the ‘madbaha’ to pay obeisance at the altar. “However, that has been a very outdated rule. From now on, baby girls will also be taken to the altar to pay obeisance after the completion of the baptismal rites.
Another rule that had become very obsolete was the directive preventing the baptism of a female infant in the stone baptismal font, on a day soon after the Feast of Denaha. It was written that the first baptism in the baptismal font has to be of a baby boy.
As a result, those baby girls whose baptism dates fell right after the Feast of Denaha had to be baptised in makeshift basins. This was felt not to be a just practice,” said Mor Theophilos.
He cautioned that both baby boys and girls are baptised in the baptismal font on other days. “Some have misinterpreted that baby girls are not at all baptised in the baptismal font.
That is not correct. The rule applied only to the day right after the Feast of Denaha,” he added. Another break from the patriarchal image comes in the form of the directive that allows women to read the Old Testament during Holy Mass and other rites.
“This is also a very progressive initiative,” added Mor Theophilos. The bishop pointed out that another guideline that had been implemented was the inclusion of 35% women in the church committee.
However, according to Fr Mohan Joseph, public relations officer of the Malankara Orthodox Church, these rules are nothing new to the church. “We had implemented the rule regarding baptism many years ago.
The same has been the case with the presence of women in the committees,” he said. However, as to whether there has been a complete implementation of the new measures, Mor Theophilos said, “These are measures that challenge the male hierarchical power. Hence, resistance arises. This leads to more time being needed for the complete implementation of the new measures.”
However, he points out that with issues like youth migration and the decreasing number of youngsters coming forward to become altar boys, a path needs to be cleared for girls to take up these duties.