Catholics in the Syro-Malabar Church’s Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese have urged their bishops to reopen St Mary’s Cathedral Basilica, which has been closed to Eucharistic celebrations for nearly three years.
The demand comes as the Synod of Bishops, the Church’s highest decision-making body, holds its ten-day meeting in Kerala, due to conclude on 29 August.
On Sunday, around 1,500 Catholics from parishes across the archdiocese gathered outside the cathedral in a public demonstration. They called on the bishops to end the closure and restore normal parish activities.
“It is 1,000 days since a Mass was celebrated in the cathedral,” said Riju Kanjookaran, spokesperson for the Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency (AMT), which represents priests, religious, and lay members. “We urge the Synod of Bishops to reopen the cathedral for Eucharistic celebrations immediately.”
The cathedral, which is also the seat of Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, was shut for Mass on 22 November 2022 after clashes broke out during a liturgy dispute. The conflict centred on whether priests should face the altar or the congregation during the Eucharistic prayer. Police were called in to restore order, and Church leaders later suspended Mass at the basilica. Other sacraments have continued.
In July, the Synod approved a settlement allowing priests in the archdiocese to continue with their traditional liturgy, while also requiring one Synod-approved Mass in every parish each Sunday and on feast days. Most parishes have already implemented this arrangement, except those facing ongoing court cases.
“The cathedral is also a parish. Catholics have a right to daily Mass,” said Father Kuriakose Mundadan, secretary of the presbytery council. He added that police cases linked to the cathedral could be resolved if the bishops agreed to reopen it.
Church sources told UCA News that many bishops remain cautious, as reopening the cathedral would mean allowing daily Masses in a form not officially approved by the Synod.
The Synod, which includes 65 bishops from 35 dioceses, is meeting for the first time since the liturgical dispute was formally settled. Local leaders say they hope the bishops will use the gathering to end the stalemate and restore worship at the basilica without further delay.
Adapted from UCA News.
