Amid Simmering Tensions, Syro-Malabar Cardinal Alencherry Launches ‘Uniform Liturgy’ Under Police Protection

The National Catholic Register ^ | 4/14/22 | Anto Akkara

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Despite fierce opposition from most of his own archdiocesan priests, including his metropolitan vicar, the head of India’s Syro-Malabar Church celebrated Palm Sunday Mass facing the altar for part of the liturgy.

KOCHI, India — Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry launched the “uniform liturgy” of the Syro-Malabar Church (SMC) he heads, at St. Mary’s Basilica of Ernakulam in Kochi on April 10, amid unprecedented security due to fierce opposition from the local clergy and laity.

Around 200 police were posted around the basilica ahead of Cardinal Alencherry’s arrival at the cathedral in his Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, for the 6:45am Palm Sunday Mass to launch the unified liturgy.

The liturgical controversy pertains to the orientation of the priest during the celebration of Mass. The synod of bishops of the SMC decided last year to implement a “uniform” Mass format from Nov. 28 onward, with the priest facing the faithful (versus populum) at the beginning of the Mass and turning toward the altar (ad orientem) at the time of the offertory. While a majority of the SMC’s 35 dioceses had been following this format already, it led to opposition in some of the dioceses where Mass was being said with the priests facing the faithful throughout Mass.

The Syro-Malabar Church is one of three Indian Churches in full communion with Rome, alongside the local Latin Catholic Church and the Syro-Malankara Church. It has an estimated 5 million members.

By the Nov. 28 deadline, despite sporadic protests in dioceses like Faridabad, Irinjalakkuda and Thrissur, all of the Syro-Malabar Church’s dioceses except Ernakulam-Angamaly had adopted the new format.

But most of the 460 priests in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly continued to oppose the liturgical change vehemently, resulting in Pope Francis’ direct intervention.