confrontation during priestly ordinations

There were protests even during the celebration of the long-postponed rite. The apostolic administration of the “rebel” diocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly made the admission of the new priests conditional on an affidavit in which they undertake to celebrate according to the “uniform” rite adopted by the Synod. And in a circular he prohibited priests and laymen from participating in associations that “criticize the official position of the Church.”

Kochi () – In the confrontation over the liturgy that has affected the Syro-Malabar Church since 2021, even the ordinations of the new priests of the archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly have become the occasion of new divisions. After a long delay, eight deacons were ordained priests on November 4 at the Sacred Heart Minor Seminary in Thrikkakara.

The apostolic administrator Bishop Bosco Puthoor only agreed to proceed when the deacons presented an affidavit in which they agreed to perform priestly functions following the laws of the Church, with special reference to the “uniformed” way of celebrating the Holy Qurbana, the Eucharistic liturgy of the Malabar communities that has been a source of tension in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Church for years. In a circular dated October 30, Bishop Puthur also asked priests and lay people not to associate with “organizations that criticize the official position of the Church or disparage its authority on social media.” The prelate also announced in the circular that there will be police surveillance outside the Curia offices, and prohibited “any form of convocation without the permission of the apostolic administrator.”

The reactions were immediate. “Almost 200 priests participated in the ordination ceremony – he tells Fr. Kuriakose Mundadan, secretary of the presbyteral council of the archdiocese -. Usually in this type of celebrations the first part is the ordination and then the first Mass is celebrated. Many priests of the archdiocese participated in the ordination ceremony, but they boycotted the first mass of the new priests with Mar Bosco Puthoor to express their discontent with the recent appointments and because they were not allowed to celebrate the mass facing the people, as is done in almost all the parishes of the archdiocese.” “The priests – continues Fr. Mundanan – also met to approve a resolution in which they ask the Apostolic Administrator to immediately reestablish the canonical bodies in the archdiocese.”

The representatives of the Almaya Munnettam forum waited for the celebration to end to express to Bishop Puthur their protest against the October 30 circular, which some groups of faithful had even burned at the end of the Sunday celebrations on November 3. The group also declared its intention to boycott the apostolic administrator in all public offices because they do not approve the appointment of new members of the curia.