Summary
A liturgical dispute in the Syro-Malabar Church, a self-governing Eastern-Rite Catholic community in India tracing its roots to St. Thomas the Apostle, has led to tensions between lay leaders and outgoing bishops. Bishop Andrews Thazhath of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese claimed that there was “malicious interference” from the Kerala-based Islamic separatist group, the Popular Front of India (PFI), in the liturgical practices of the Syro-Malabar Church. The PFI had been banned by Indian authorities in 2022. Thazhath’s claims were made during a CBCI presidential election where Cardinal Anthony Poola was elected as the new president. In response, a lay organization called Almaaya Munnettam criticized Thazhath’s comments and demanded that he provide further details or stop promoting a divisive narrative. The conflict centers on efforts to standardize Mass styles within the Syro-Malabar Church in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, which had resisted these reforms.
Key Topics
Bishop Thazhath, Muslim interference, Syro-Malabar Church
