Elizabeth Owens
(ZENIT News / Rome, 08.15.2023).- In a bid to put an end to the escalating crisis within the archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, Pope Francis has designated Archbishop Cyril Vasil as a papal delegate. Archbishop Vasil, hailing from the Eparchy of Košice in the Slovak Greek Catholic Church and a former secretary of the dicastery for the Eastern Churches, has been chosen to address the ongoing conflict within the archeparchy.
The decision by the Holy Father follows the request made by the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, Cardinal George Alencherry, in June 2023. Cardinal Alencherry had articulated the need for papal intervention to resolve the dispute that emerged concerning the manner of celebrating the Holy Qurbana, the traditional Mass of the region.
The dispute revolves around the adoption of a “uniform” liturgy aimed at harmonizing the diverse liturgical practices employed previously. This compromise solution, implemented by the Syro-Malabar Synod in the summer of 2021, mandates that during the Liturgy of the Word, the priest faces the congregation, then turns towards the altar at the central juncture (the consecration), and ultimately looks back at the assembly after communion.
Nevertheless, the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, along with its clergy, has resisted the implementation of this new “uniform” liturgy. The appointment of Archbishop Cyril Vasil as a special delegate intends to assess the current situation and propose resolutions to quell the crisis.
The papal delegate, accompanied by Father Sunny Kokkaravalayil, presently a professor of canon law at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, arrived in the region on August 4, 2023. In the meantime, Archbishop Andrews Thazhath will continue to administer the archeparchy as an apostolic administrator.
Archbishop Cyril Vasil, born in 1965 in Košice, Slovakia, boasts extensive experience in ecclesiastical matters. After his ordination as a priest in 1987, he obtained a doctorate in canon law and served as a professor and rector at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. In 2009, he assumed the role of secretary of the dicastery for the Eastern Churches and later was ordained as an archbishop. Following 11 years of service in this capacity, he was appointed apostolic administrator of the Eparchy of Košice in 2020 and subsequently became its second bishop in 2021.
It’s worth noting that Archbishop Cyril Vasil has also represented the Pope at significant events, such as the funeral of the late Major Archbishop, Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, in 2011. Additionally, in January 2018, he addressed the Synod of Bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church and participated in the episcopal installation in Shamshabad.
