KOCHI: The Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese Metropolitan Vicar Mar Antony Kariyil on Wednesday said the validity of the exemption granted for the conduct of the uniform Holy Mass would end on December 25 this year, making it mandatory for all the churches under the archdiocese to implement the uniform mass from Christmas.
The priests of the archdiocese accepted the decision of Mar Kariyil, in what is seen as an end to the prolonged deadlock between a section of the priests and the church. A circular by Mar Kariyil said that, after considering everything, he has decided to modify the previous circular issued on November 26 last year.
That particular circular stated that, considering the serious pastoral problems and for the spiritual well-being of the faithful, the archdiocese was exempted from celebrating the Holy Mass (50:50) decided by the Syro-Malabar Synod invoking canon 1538. The circular was amended citing two main reasons: First, the serious consequences of public order that have occurred and are foreseen with the imposition of the synodal decision concerning the Holy Mass.
The second, the parishes will need more time so that everyone will be prepared to accept the changes, as acknowledged by the Pope, too, in his recent letter to the archdiocese. The Pope’s letter issued on Friday had urged the archdiocese to implement the uniform mode of the Holy Mass by Easter. The letter also said that exemptions can be allotted for only a determined period of time and permission should be sought from the Major Archbishop, Cardinal George Alencherry.
The priests have accepted Mar Kariyil’s decision. “Since the Holy Mass decided by the synod is new to most of the priests, we need time to make them understand. We acknowledge the time given by the archbishop,” said Fr Jose Vaillikodath, the public relations officer of the Athirupatha Samrakshana Samithi, a body of priests.
End to deadlock?
In what is seen as an end to the prolonged deadlock between a section of the priests and the church, the priests of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese accepted the decision of Mar Kariyil to modify the previous circular issued on November 26 last year. That circular stated that, considering the serious pastoral problems, the archdiocese was exempted from conducting uniform mass