Syro-Malabar Catholic Church may punish believers, priests involved in holy mass melee

KOCHI: The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church will move ahead with strict punitive actions against both priests and believers who prevented Archbishop Cyril Vasil from entering the St Mary’s Cathedral Basilica in Ernakulam. According to the latest details, the church is pondering the expulsion of priests involved in the melee.

The Syro-Malabar Church said that the protest against the Vatican representative who came to resolve the dispute regarding the unified Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica is extremely regrettable.

The Church said that it was reprehensible that those who had asked for the Pontifical Delegate had blocked him. The church also clarified that there were anti-Christian practices during the protest. Shouting inflammatory slogans and creating a situation of tension cannot be justified. The Syro-Malabar church through a press release also requests that those concerned should withdraw from such protests, which are not by the culture of Christians.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Cyril Vasil said that priests and believers unwilling to accept the Synod decision shall have their place outside Church. On Monday, drama unfolded as Cyril Vasil came with a police entourage and entered the church that was locked for eight months. This incident kickstarted a skirmish with slandering expletives, throwing bottles, and breaking glass panes of windows happened among many other deplorable incidents.

Meanwhile, the police have registered a case against 100 recognizable people for the conflict at St. Mary's Basilica.