Unified mass circular issued by Syro-Malabar Church Major Archbishop and Archdiocese Administrator Bishop burned; conflict in churches

KOCHI: Clashes in churches over circular asking for unified mass issued by Syro-Malabar Church Major Archbishop Raphael Thattill and Ernakulam Archdiocese Administrator Bishop Bosco Puthur. A group of believers protested by burning the circular and throwing it in the river.

At St. George Forane Church, Edappally, united mass supporters and detractors came to the verge of fistfights. The ban on burning the circular led to conflict. The conflict between Almaya Munnettam and Mar Thoma Nasrani Sangam workers who support the church was averted by the intervention of the police.

Nasrani Sangam activist George Koikara was thrashed by the dissident faction after he demanded the circular to be read at St. Mary's Forane Church, Kanjoor, Kalady..

Almaya Munnettam activists burnt the circular, including at St. Mary's Cathedral, Ernakulam. At Kochupally, Udayamperoor, the activists protested by dumping the circular in the lake. Almaya Munnettam and priests said the circular was not read in any of the 321 churches of the archdiocese.