Archbishop Antony Kariyil, Metropolitan Vicar of the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, said in a circular here on Wednesday that the exemption given to the archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly to continue with a fully congregation facing Mass would be valid till December 25. The Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church had issued directions in August last year that there should be a uniform system of celebrating the Mass in which the celebrant faced the congregation for the first half and then turned towards the tabernacle (holy of holies) for the second half.
The circular said that the dispensation granted on November 26, 2021, would be valid till December 25, 2022. The exemption was given due to concerns over "serious consequences of public order", the circular said.
A senior priest of the archdiocese said though the decision was painful, it was being accepted in good spirit. The new way of celebrating the Mass was not familiar to the priests and the faithful in the archdiocese and the period up to December 25 would be used to familiarise themselves with the new system.
Published - April 06, 2022 06:19 pm IST
