KOCHI: The Syrian Catholic Liturgical Forum, a body of priests from various dioceses of the Syro-Malabar Church, urged the Synod to bring back peace by restoring the Mass facing the people. The appeal was made by the forum in the wake of the ongoing Synod at Mount St Thomas at Kakkanad. The forum held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation in dioceses after implementing the uniform Holy Mass. Priests and laity of Irinjalakuda diocese and Thrissur and Ernakulam-Angamaly archdioceses took part in the meeting held at Irinjalakuda.
The forum had evaluated that the ‘forcible’ implementation of the uniform Holy Mass has paved way for conflict in various dioceses. Also, the meeting at the hall arranged by Kodakkara St Joseph’s Church vicar Fr Davis Kallingal witnessed a ruckus. According to participants, the meeting started at 10.30am. An hour later, 12 men claiming to be parishioners created a ruckus and “threatened” the laity representatives. Following this, the meeting venue had to be shifted to a church in Chalakudy.
“This is only one such incident that happened recently. Many such issues are taking places at various churches that are forced to implement the uniform Holy Mass. Peaceful meetings are being disrupted,” said a priest belonging to the forum.
“The uniform Holy Mass that was introduced to unify the Church has in fact disrupted the peace and unity in the Church,” evaluated the forum. It also criticised the way the priests are forced to conduct the Mass facing the altar. “The forum sought the attention of the Synod into the events unfolding in various churches and urged its intervention,” forum convenor Fr John Ayyankanayil.