{"id":56086,"date":"2025-08-05T07:20:36","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T07:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/?p=56086"},"modified":"2025-08-05T07:20:36","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T07:20:36","slug":"leo-xiv-withdraws-papal-delegate-after-agreement-avoids-schism-in-syro-malabar-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/leo-xiv-withdraws-papal-delegate-after-agreement-avoids-schism-in-syro-malabar-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Leo XIV trekt pauselijk afgevaardigde terug nadat akkoord schisma in Syro-Malabar-kerk voorkomt"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n De Mar Hormizd-kathedraal, gebouwd in 1578, is de Syro-Malabar-kathedraalkerk in Angamaly, India. \/ Bron: St. Hormizd's Cathedral, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons<\/span>\n<\/div>\n

Vatican City, Jul 10, 2025 \/ 14:30 pm (CNA).<\/p>\n

The specter of schism has hovered in recent years over the Metropolitan Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabar Church in India\u2014one of the 24 Eastern Churches in full communion with the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

Part of the clergy and faithful of Ernakulam-Angamaly, the largest Indian episcopal see in terms of the number of priests as well as the see presided over by the bishop in charge of the entire Syro-Malabar Church, did not accept the 1999 reform of the liturgical rite, which was later confirmed at the 2021 Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church.<\/p>\n

Pope Leo XIV appears to have resolved the controversy by terminating the 2023 appointment of Archbishop Cyril Vasil\u2019 as papal delegate to the Syro-Malabar Church to mediate the dispute.<\/p>\n

Volgens Vatican News<\/a>, the official Vatican website, this decision by the pope \u201cconcludes the Holy See\u2019s mediation work among the Syro-Malabars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin Br\u00e4uer, an expert at the Ecumenical Research Institute in Bensheim, Germany, told ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner, that \u201cRome now considers the conflict over and therefore no longer needs a papal representative. Secondly, the agreement reached within the [Syro-Malabar] Church without the direct mediation of Archbishop Vasil\u2019 is recognized.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, the news comes<\/a> after new measures to implement the liturgical reform approved by the 2021 Synod came into effect on July 3, the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle\u2014patron saint of the Syro-Malabar Church.<\/p>\n

The compromise now reached allows the parishes of Ernakulam-Angamaly to celebrate the liturgy with the priest facing the faithful (versus populum<\/em>), adhering to the practice of the Roman Rite, provided that at least one Sunday or feast day Mass is celebrated according to the traditional form, that is, with the priest facing the altar (ad orientem<\/em>) during the consecration.<\/p>\n

According to the 2021 reform of the rite, during Mass the priest was required to address the people during the first part of the celebration, but the liturgy of the Eucharist was celebrated facing the altar.<\/p>\n

Prior to the reform that sparked the dispute, all solemnities had to be celebrated in line with the directives issued by the Syro-Malabar Synod four years ago. Now, however, the Syro-Malabar Church accepts as sufficient that all churches celebrate just one of their Masses on Sundays and feast days according to those directives.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis rule also applies to parishes with ongoing civil proceedings, provided they do not contravene the decisions of state courts,\u201d the academic explained.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, he said, it is made explicit that the synod will only address future liturgical changes \u201cif they are discussed in a spirit of synodality with the canonical bodies of the archeparchy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other points include \u201cthe use of the sanctuary in accordance with liturgical norms, the possibility of outside bishops celebrating the unified form in all churches, and that any internal conflicts be resolved in an atmosphere of respect and friendship,\u201d Br\u00e4uer emphasized.<\/p>\n

What was the liturgical dispute about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the 2021 synod promoted a return to the liturgy facing the altar as the traditional form of the Syro-Oriental rite, many priests and faithful in Ernakulam-Angamaly defended the practice of facing the people that had become widespread after the Second Vatican Council.<\/p>\n

The Vatican then asked the 35 dioceses of the Syro-Malabar Church to eliminate elements of the Roman rite and return to their original traditions, in this case the pure Chaldean rite, present today especially in Iraq.<\/p>\n

For Br\u00e4uer, what is remarkable is that \u201cthis agreement was reached by means of synodality, that is, through dialogue and mutual listening,\u201d which gives legitimacy and hope to its practical application.<\/p>\n

This case has been, according to the expert, an acid test of the delicate balance between papal authority and the autonomy of the Eastern Churches. It was St. John Paul II who, in 1998, gave the Syro-Malabar bishops authority to resolve liturgical conflicts.<\/p>\n

According to Br\u00e4uer, \u201cthe Syro-Malabar Church first attempted to resolve the conflict internally. When that failed, Rome intervened, but that too was unsuccessful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The papal delegate, Archbishop Vasil\u2019, who belongs to the Byzantine rite and had worked in the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, was widely criticized for his authoritarian style. \u201cHe didn\u2019t know how to find the right tone with the parties in conflict,\u201d Br\u00e4uer commented.<\/p>\n

However, it was not an easy task. When Archbishop Vasil\u2019<\/a> traveled to India on Aug. 4, 2023, at the beginning of his mission, some priests publicly burned photos of him and he was greeted with a shower of eggs.<\/p>\n

In this regard, it was the metropolitan vicar, Archbishop Joseph Pamplany, successor to the apostolic administrator Bishop Bosco Puthur, who managed to move toward a solution thanks to a strategy of open communication and active listening.<\/p>\n

Finally, the consensus\u2014which relaxed the norms that the communities of this rite in the Metropolitan Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly were required to adopt a year ago, following an ultimatum from Pope Francis\u2014was forged in a meeting between Archbishop Pamplany and the Major Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Archdiocese, Raphael Thattil.<\/p>\n

Another new rule that has softened positions is that deacons may be ordained without having to commit in writing not to celebrate according to the previous form of the rite.<\/p>\n

Is the ghost of schism laid to rest forever?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although the threat of schism has been dispelled for now, there is still work to be done. According to Br\u00e4uer, even priests who opposed the unified liturgy have accepted the agreement, although not without reservations.<\/p>\n

Their spokesman, Father Kuriakose Mundadan, expressed in a letter his willingness to support the agreement, although he harshly criticized both the way in which the liturgical reform was adopted and the repressive attitude of some of those previously in authority. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition to criticizing the way the synod imposed the liturgical reform, he also criticized the treatment of those opposed to the reform. He also felt that the papal delegate exacerbated the situation,\u201d Br\u00e4uer noted.<\/p>\n

 \u201cPope Francis constantly called for unity, but ultimately did not succeed in resolving the conflict. It became clear that the problem could not be resolved solely by means of authority and discipline. Now a synodal solution has been found, which we hope will be lasting,\u201d the expert added.<\/p>\n

Br\u00e4uer emphasized that how the agreement is implemented in the coming months will be decisive: \u201cOnly then will we see if the agreement is stable and lasting.\u201d<\/p>\n

For priests currently facing disciplinary proceedings, amicable solutions will be sought, and the Metropolitan Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly will also undertake to resolve disputes in civil courts.<\/p>\n

Those who prefer the Roman Rite practice of facing the people to the traditional one are a minority: they represent only about 450,000 people, or 10% of Syro-Malabar believers, who total about five million. However, they are quite vocal. video\u2019s<\/a> of attacks on bishops and clashes between groups of Catholics circulate online.<\/p>\n

The special tribunal created to resolve these types of liturgical disputes will not be dissolved, at least for now.<\/p>\n

Lessons for the entire Catholic Church<\/strong><\/p>\n

Asked about the value of this experience for other liturgical conflicts in the Church, Br\u00e4uer said that the liturgy is \u201cprayed dogma,\u201d that is, an \u201cexpression of the Church\u2019s faith\u201d that can take many forms, as seen in the Catholic Church: for example, \u201cin the West, with the ancient Mozarabic rite, and also with inculturated forms of the Mass in the Congo, Australia, or Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLiturgical diversity enriches the Church, but fidelity to tradition does not mean stubbornly clinging to the past, but rather accepting change with discernment,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

Dit verhaal <\/em>werd voor het eerst gepubliceerd<\/em><\/a>door ACI Prensa, de Spaanstalige nieuwspartner van CNA. Het is vertaald en bewerkt door CNA.<\/em><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/265289\/leo-xiv-withdraws-papal-delegate-after-agreement-avoids-schism-in-syro-malabar-church<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

De Mar Hormizd-kathedraal, gebouwd in 1578, is de Syro-Malabaarse kathedraalkerk in Angamaly, India. \/ Bron: St. Hormizd's Cathedral, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Vaticaanstad, 10 juli 2025 \/ 14:30 uur (CNA). Het spook van een schisma hangt de laatste jaren boven het metropolitaan aartsbisdom Ernakulam-Angamaly van de Syro-Malabaarse Kerk in India\u2014een van de [\u2026]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":59549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[100],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-56086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christian-news"],"mb":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Leo-XIV-withdraws-papal-delegate-after-agreement-avoids-schism-in-Syro-Malabar-Church.webp?fit=800%2C449&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26444,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/indias-syro-malabar-church-reshuffles-leadership-amid-liturgical-row\/","url_meta":{"origin":56086,"position":0},"title":"India\u2019s Syro-Malabar Church reshuffles leadership amid liturgical row","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"januari 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"[ad_1] The Vatican on Jan. 10, 2024, announced the confirmation of the election of a new head of the Syro-Malabar Church, the largest Eastern Catholic church in India, Bishop Raphael Thattil. \/ Credit: Jpullokaran, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons CNA Newsroom, Jan 11, 2025 \/ 20:05 pm (CNA). 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