Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Leaders Want a Uniform Liturgy. Why Are They Facing Resistance?

The National Catholic Register ^ | 12/8/21 | Luke Coppen

[marshmallow]

The Syro-Malabar Church is today one of four major archiepiscopal churches recognized by Rome.

The leaders of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church want to introduce a uniform liturgy — but the process is not going smoothly.

It’s difficult for Catholics who are unfamiliar with the Syro-Malabar Church to understand what’s happening and why it’s proving to be so controversial.

So CNA turned to Mar Joseph Srampickal, the first bishop of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain, to help explain what’s at stake.

What is the Syro-Malabar Church?

The Syro-Malabar Church is one of the 23 autonomous Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome. Based in the Indian state of Kerala, the Church has more than four million members worldwide. That makes it the second-largest Eastern Catholic Church after the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

It is the largest of the churches that trace their origin to St. Thomas the Apostle, who is believed to have traveled as far as southern India during his missionary journeys after his life-changing encounter with the risen Jesus. The members of these churches are known collectively as the “St. Thomas Christians.”

The Syro-Malabar Church’s name is a combination of the words “Syriac,” referring to its East Syriac Rite liturgy, and “Malabar,” an older name for Kerala. The vernacular language of its liturgies is Malayalam.

Why are there differences between Syro-Malabar liturgies?

Srampickal told CNA via email that the drive for a uniform liturgy stems from the Church’s unique history. The Syro-Malabar Church emerged from the world of Syriac Christianity, an important but lesser-known branch of Eastern Christianity whose ancient liturgies are in the Syriac language, a dialect of Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus.

[texas booster]

Bttt