KOCHI: Intensifying their protest against implementing the unified Holy Mass approved by the Synod, laity of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese on Thursday burnt Cardinal Mar George Alencherry and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri in effigy in Kochi. Syro-Malabar Church authorities have come out heavily against the act.
The Church issued a statement saying that the act was deplorable and an open challenge to the Church’s system. The videos and photos of the burning of effigies went viral on social media. The act was publicly insulting the Pope’s representative and could be seen only as a move against the Pope, said the Church officials in a statement.
The statement also said punitive actions under the Canon law will be taken against those who committed a serious violation of discipline. Actions will be taken against those who facilitated it as well, added the statement. Fr Alex Onampally, secretary of the Syro-Malabar Media Commission, said in the statement.
“The faithful of the Church should take care to not get provoked by the incidents of indiscipline taking place in Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese. The anger and protest that these acts have caused in the faithful should open the eyes of the rebel faction. It is highly condemnable that the Church’s pastoral centre and its premises were being used for such anti-Church activities,” Fr Onampally said.
Meanwhile, officials of the archdiocese condemned the act. Fr Mathew Kilukkan, PRO of the archdiocese in an official statement, said the archdiocese, its leadership or the officials of Kaloor renewal centre have no connection with this incident.
“The archdiocese condemns such forms of protest which are not Christian. The archdiocese always prefers a solution through discussion,” Fr Kilukkan. The protest was organised by the laity activists who came to express solidarity with the priests of the archdiocese who held a meeting at the Kaloor renewal centre.
The activists raised slogans against the cardinals and called for a total boycott of Cardinal Alencherry. The Syro-Malabar Church said the incident indicates that it was high time to bring an end to the increasing instances of violation of discipline in the archdiocese.
Meeting held
A meeting of the presbyterium of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese was held at the Kaloor renewal centre on Thursday. As many as 316 priests took part in the meeting chaired by Archbishop Antony Kariyil. The meet passed a resolution urging the archbishop not to withdraw the dispensation granted to the archdiocese from the new format of the Mass prescribed by the Synod of the Church.