KOCHI: Reviving efforts to resolve the liturgical dispute within the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, the papal delegate, Archbishop Cyril Vasil, has begun meeting priests from every force. Priests from 12 of the 16 coronas of the archdiocese have held talks with Mar Vasil.
In August, on his first visit to the archdiocese, to resolve the issue over the Eucharist, Mar Vasil had clarified that he was not open to dialogue. “This time around, he has adopted a more mellowed approach. The priests have accepted his invitation for talks,” said Fr Jose Vailikodath, public relations officer, Archdiocese Protection Council.
Members of the 10-member advisory committee, which convened on Friday, told the archbishop that the issue over liturgy was a pastoral crisis for the archdiocese and could only be resolved through consensus generated through dialogue. Priests from Angamaly, Mookkannur, Karukutty, Cherthala, Vallam, Manjapra, Koratty, Kanjoor, Ernakulam, Edappally and Vaikom Pallipuram met the archbishop. They raised theological, liturgical, pastoral, and even more conscientious issues linked to the controversy.
“The priests informed the papal delegate that former apostolic administrator Archbishop Andrews Thazhath had, in an interview with a TV channel, said he was the person behind the video, which had undermined the seriousness of the pontiff’s message,” said Fr Vailikodath.
It is learnt that Mar Vasil plans to meet superiors of sannyastha churches and representatives of parishes in the coming days. “The continuation of the policy of imposing a pontifical delegate without listening to the representatives, including the clergy, would lead to predictable conflicts. It will result in law and order problems in parishes,” he added.