KOCHI: What should have been a grand finale to the centenary celebrations of the Ernakulam Vicarate being elevated as the head Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar hierarchy has now snowballed into a controversy!
In a circular issued on Monday countering the one sent out by the group of priests who are against the implementation of the Unified Holy Mass on Sunday, the Apostolic Administrator of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese Archbishop Andrews Thazhath announced that the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations will be held on December 21.
Earlier on Sunday, the priests had issued a notification announcing the celebration of the conclusion of the centenary on December 10.
Making the notice issued by the priests null and void, Mar Thazhath said in the circular that the finale of the centenary celebrations has to be conducted as per the directions issued by the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church.
The Apostolic Administrator emphasised that it has to be celebrated on December 21. In his instructions for the celebrations on the Archdiocese level, Mar Thazhath said, “Holy Mass expressing gratitude has to be celebrated at all parishes under the Archdiocese on the said date or any day before it.”
Nuncio-cardinal meet sparks speculations
KOCHI: Apostolic Nuncio Leopoldo Girelli met Major Archbishop of Syro Malabar Church Cardinal George Alencherry on Wednesday, sparking speculations of the Vatican’s intervention in resolving the issues in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese. Sources termed the archbishops’ meeting at Kochi airport “highly-confidential.”
“It is understood that an exchange of letters took place. Their contents remain undisclosed. Whenever the Nuncio calls up a bishop personally, it is often for something serious,” said a source.
“Last year, Archdiocese’s apostolic vicar Antony Kariyil was summoned to Delhi where the Nuncio handed him a letter from the Vatican demanding his resignation,” the source said, adding anything associated with a communique from the Vatican pertains to Pontifical secret and will not be revealed.
It has been speculated Alencherry might have been asked to step down over his alleged involvement in the illegal land deal case.