(ZENIT News / Rome, 06.24.2025).- A bitter liturgical standoff that once brought the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church to the brink of open schism has finally reached a tentative resolution. In a decision announced just weeks before the Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle—patron of Indian Catholic Christianity—church leaders and clergy from the embattled Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly in Kerala agreed on a compromise meant to preserve both tradition and unity.
The June 19 agreement, reached during a presbyteral council meeting, comes after years of deeply entrenched division within the ancient Eastern Catholic Church, which traces its origins to the apostolic mission of Thomas in the 1st century. For decades, the dispute over the priest’s position during the Eucharistic celebration—facing the altar or facing the people—had become symbolic of much deeper tensions between tradition and modernity.
Under the new terms, priests in the archdiocese will be permitted to continue celebrating Mass facing the congregation, a post-Vatican II adaptation embraced by a majority of local clergy and laity. However, they will now also be required to celebrate at least one Sunday or major feast-day Mass each week using the Synod-approved unified rite, which requires facing the altar during the Eucharistic prayer.
This compromise, which takes effect on July 3, the feast day of Saint Thomas, marks a turning point in a liturgical feud that had led to hunger strikes, street protests, the temporary closure of the cathedral, and police involvement. At one point, over 300 priests and hundreds of thousands of lay Catholics in Ernakulam-Angamaly defied direct orders from the Church’s governing Synod, prompting fears that an independent breakaway church might emerge.
“It’s a step toward peace,” said Father Joyce Kaithakottil in comments to AsiaNews. “We know the road won’t be perfect, but this is about reconciliation. We don’t want to lose the richness of the liturgy as celebrated facing the people—it’s in our spiritual bloodstream.”
The Syro-Malabar Synod had mandated a unified form of the Eucharistic liturgy in 2021, allowing the priest to face the people for the Liturgy of the Word but requiring him to turn toward the altar during the Eucharistic prayer. Most dioceses complied. Ernakulam-Angamaly, however—the largest and arguably most influential Syro-Malabar jurisdiction—held firm in its resistance. When disciplinary actions were initiated, the situation escalated into open confrontation.
Now, disciplinary cases and police complaints filed against protesting priests will be withdrawn. Newly ordained priests, who had previously been required to pledge adherence to the unified rite, will now enjoy equal standing regardless of which liturgical orientation they practice. Additionally, the bishops have agreed to replace administrators appointed by a papal delegate during the crisis.
“This decision reflects not only a pastoral pragmatism but also an acknowledgment of how deeply liturgical identity is tied to community belonging,” noted an Indian theologian familiar with the Church’s history. “Liturgical postures may seem like minor matters, but here they carried the weight of memory, dignity, and ecclesial autonomy.”
However, not all communities are rushing to implement the new framework. In parishes where legal disputes remain unresolved, the unified rite will be introduced only after those issues are addressed. A detailed circular outlining the guidelines for implementation is expected soon.
The Vatican had previously intervened in 2023 by appointing Slovak Jesuit Archbishop Cyril Vasil as pontifical delegate to administer the troubled archdiocese. Yet even his efforts had failed to break the deadlock.
Behind the scenes, the breakthrough is attributed to quiet but determined negotiations led by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and Metropolitan Vicar Joseph Pamplany, both of whom are expected to issue a formal statement in the coming days.
The Movement for Archdiocesan Transparency (AMT), a coalition of priests, religious, and laypeople, welcomed the compromise. “We stood firm because this liturgy was part of who we are,” said spokesman Riju Kanjookaran. “We accepted this formula because the bishops finally listened.”
Still, not all reactions have been positive. Supporters of the Synod-approved liturgy staged protests outside the Church’s headquarters at Mount Saint Thomas and the archbishop’s residence in Ernakulam, expressing frustration that the compromise seemed to reward noncompliance.
Yet most voices inside the archdiocese appear relieved that the threat of open rupture has been averted—for now. After years of acrimony, the spirit of reconciliation, however imperfect, is being cautiously embraced.
Whether this fragile peace holds will depend on good faith from both sides, clear communication, and continued efforts to heal wounds that have scarred an entire generation of faithful.
As one local priest observed, “It’s no longer about facing east or west. It’s about whether we can finally turn toward one another.”
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