The cathedral Basilica of Saint Mary – which has remained closed for the last 486 days as a symbol of the clash over the liturgy that has been ongoing for more than two years in the Syro-Malabar archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly – was reopened yesterday following a local court order.
The vicar of the church, Fr. Varghese Manavalan reopened the doors at 6 pm, leading the celebration of a Via Crucis and the recitation of the Rosary together with hundreds of faithful.
The famous sanctuary was closed on November 27, 2022, by the police following a conflict between two groups of devotees over the implementation of the “unified rite” of the Holy Qurbana, the Eucharistic liturgy of this Eastern Rite Catholic Church. The Munsiff Court ordered the vicar of the church to “conduct the celebrations of all the sacraments and sacramentals, except the holy Qurbana”.
The order came following a petition filed by a group of devotees. The court also ruled that if anyone obstructs or interrupts the opening of the church, the petitioners and church authorities will be able to turn to the police.
Fr Varghese Manavalan also announced that on Holy Thursday, the basilica will celebrate a morning service which will end with the breaking of bread and the Good Friday liturgies will also be held. In the meantime, at the invitation of the court, the interested parties will start mediation talks to verify whether the Eucharistic liturgy, as formulated by the Synod, can be celebrated on Easter Day.
The church was closed after Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, then apostolic administrator of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, was prevented from celebrating the unified rite, sparking violence outside the church between supporters of the Synod’s move and the group opposes.
Despite the court’s ruling, resistance remains strong: the dissident group’s argument is that the majority of priests, nuns, and lay people of the archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly want to continue celebrating the holy Qurbana with the celebrant facing the people to the whole ritual. The compromise proposal adopted by the Syro-Malabar Synod provides for looking towards the altar during the consecration rite.
Commenting on the reopening, the spokesperson of the Syro-Malabar Church Fr. Antony Vadakkekara told AsiaNews : “The reopening during Holy Week is a positive step towards the amicable resolution of the issue. The thinking of our Synod, with the approval of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches and Pope Francis, is very clear on the need to implement a uniform way of celebrating the holy Qurbana. The Basilica is reopened with the clear instruction that all other sacraments, except the holy Qurbana and other devotional practices, may be performed. Only the uniform holy Qurbana can be celebrated in the basilica.”
