Stalemate continues over unified Mass

Police personnel guard the Major Archbishop’s House in Kochi on Thursday. | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

A tense situation prevailed as members of factions supporting and opposing the uniform Mass in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro Malabar Church, staged protests outside the Bishop’s House, on Thursday.

Members supporting the uniform Mass reportedly attempted to block priests from attending the presbyteral council meeting and raised slogans seeking denial of entry to priests who faced ‘disciplinary action’. The police set up barricades and removed the agitators, many of whom were charged with rioting.

Members of the One Church, One Qurbana movement, which supports the unified Mass, demanded the resignation of Church leaders opposing it. They further alleged that Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany, the vicar of Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil, was toeing the line of those who opposed the unified Mass.

In the meantime, Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency (AMT), which is opposed to the Synod’s unified Mass liturgy, convened a meeting of representatives of various parishes seeking the implementation the Mass in which priests faced people and the removal of the Curia.

The day also saw the convening of the presbyteral council meeting of the archdiocese to discuss the row over the observance of the unified Mass, it is learnt.

Published - June 05, 2025 10:35 pm IST