KOTTAYAM: With Pope Francis formally granting permission to Roman Catholic priests to bless same-sex marriages, reformers within the Knanaya Catholic Church who have been advocating against the practice of endogamy in their community are now hopeful of the Vatican’s intervention for their cause.
Bringing attention to the denial of marriage sacrament to Justin John, a resident of Kottody in Kasaragod, by the Knanaya Archeparchy of Kottayam in May this year, the Global Knanaya Reform Movement (GKRM) has written to the Pope, seeking the Holy See’s intervention in the burning issue of endogamy in the Knanaya community. In the letter addressed to Pope Francis and His Eminence Cardinal Dominique Maberti, the Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, GKRM requested the Vatican to initiate an impartial investigation into the denial of the sacrament of marriage to Justin and Vigimol, a member of the Thalassery archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church.
Besides initiating remedial measures to avoid any further denial of sacraments, GKRM also requested appropriate action against those involved, by canon law and the principles of justice, if found guilty.
The letter also highlights the submission of false affidavits by Mar Mathew Moolakatt, the Archbishop of Knanaya Archeparchy of Kottayam, and Fr Stijo John, the vicar of St Anne’s Church in Kottody, in a contempt of court case filed by Justin against the denial of marriage sacrament.
The affidavits, as stated by GKRM, contain misleading statements and falsehoods, seemingly orchestrated to bypass court orders and deceive both the judiciary and the Vatican regarding the prevailing racial endogamy practices in the Kottayam diocese. The case is set for a crucial hearing on January 3, 2024.
According to the members of GKRM, despite fervent pleas and the submission of a comprehensive report on racial endogamy practices within the Kottayam diocese, the Vatican’s unsettling silence on the denial of the sacrament of marriage to Justin and Vijimol has raised serious concerns about the Holy See’s dedication to justice, transparency and the teachings of Jesus Christ.