It may be another Christmas sans Holy Mass for St Mary’s Basilica in Kochi
KOCHI: Going to the Ernakulam St Mary’s Cathedral Basilica with his parents for the midnight mass on Christmas is one of his fondest childhood memories of Jose Cyriac. So, the thought of missing the mass at his parish this year too owing to the unsavoury events that unfolded last year fills him with dread. In fact, all 2,500 parishioners of the basilica are dreading the same.
The church stands as silent testimony to the tiff between a group of priests, parishioners and the Syro Malabar Church Synod over the implementation of the Unified Holy Mass. As the standoff continues, church bells may not ring this Christmas too.
“We are forced to go to other churches just because some people find it tough to make compromises,” rued Jose, who is in his late 50s. While attending the Holy Mass in another church is enough for the faithful spiritually, Jose said going to one’s own parish is an entirely different emotion. He said seeing the church, which once stood in all its glory, closed for over a year now pains the parishioners.
While the priests and parishioners blame the high-handedness of Archbishop Cyril Vasil and Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese’s Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath for the impasse, the Synod is firm on implementing the Unified Mass by a cut-off date.
Fr Jose Vailikodath, PRO, Archdiocese Protection Council, said to break the deadlock, they had submitted a plan after discussions with the ad-hoc committee of bishops formed by the Synod. “Bishop Bosco Puthur was the committee chairperson. A compromise formula, which found acceptance among many of the bishops attending the Synod, was prepared,” Fr Jose said.
But nothing came out of it. “The formula was sent to the Vatican and we are awaiting a decision. As of now, we have not received any information,” Fr Jose said. He said they had sought more time to ease the parishes into the new format.
“However, Archbishop Vasil was adamant about implementing it by the deadline. The issue is not just confined to the basilica but encompasses the entire archdiocese. People accustomed to a particular format of Holy Mass cannot be forced to immediately shift to a new one,” he said.
Fr Jose said under the compromise formula, it was agreed to conduct the Unified Holy Mass once a week at the basilica. “All we sought was some time. However, the ego of Archbishops Vasil and Thazhath didn’t allow this,” he said.
Shyju Antony, a parishioner, said, “When the issue was taken up at the Synod, 48 out of 53 bishops agreed on the need to consider the issue affecting the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archeparchy. However, Mar Thazhath overruled them.”
The row over implementing the Uniform Mass took a violent turn on November 28, 2022, with a group opposed to the move blocking Archbishop Thazhath at the basilica’s gates when he arrived in the morning to lead the mass. He had chosen to conduct the mass on the day as it marked the commencement of the liturgical calendar. He had apprised the basilica vicar of the move. However, a section of priests and faithful opposed the same and launched an indefinite agitation on the premises of the Bishop’s House.