A report
of the incidents by the Parishioners
To
1.
His
Grace Vincent M Concessao, Archbishop of
2.
His
Beatitude Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil, Major Archbishop,
3.
His
Grace Pedro Lopez Quintana, Apostolic Nuncio, Chanakyapuri,
4.
His
Excellency Gracian Mundadan, Apostolic Visitor
Sub: HATE AND ATROCITY
AGAINST SYRO-MALABAR AT PRASAD NAGAR
His Eminence/ Your Graces/Your
Excellency,
After 14 long years of waiting and
struggle the Syro-Malabar belivers at St. Michael’s Church Prasad Nagar got a
sigh of relief when on
Instead of welcoming the decision as
the will of the Church we saw efforts to undermine the new parish. First of all
membership forms were distributed among the Syro-Malabar with repeated
announcement on Sundays giving Syro-Malabar believers the option to remain with
the Latin Rite. Secondly the parish priest put forward a number of impossible
and impractical conditions (including payments of charges much in excess of
what is being paid by other Syro-Malabar parishes)for use of the church
infrastructure.
The Syro-Malabar parishioners were
looking forward to their first ever Sunday Eucharistic celebration as a new
parish priest, and came to the Church on
As soon as the people gathered
inside the church the parish authority got the lights and fans switched
off. Then we saw police standing on the Church verandah.
A few minutes later the new parish
priest Fr Reju Kannanpuzha arrived and read a letter from His Grace Archbishop
the essence of which was that the Malayalam mass (which should have by now been
progressing) was cancelled as there was fear of tension between two groups.
Fr.Reju then left the Church premises. We later understood that the “other
group” was demanding a separate Malayalam Latin Mass exactly at the time the
Syro Malabar Mass was to take place (a time schedule maintained for the past 14
years).
We feel this is a deliberate attempt
to create unrest and tension and take sadistic revenge by managing to get the
first ever Eucharistic celebration of the newly formed St.Augustine’s parish
cancelled on the face of the believers. . St .Michael’s Church has 15 Masses
a week in Latin Rite (consisting of about 35% of the parishioners) AND JUST ONE
Mass in Syro Malabar rite consisting of 65% of the parishioners. NOW a 16th
Mass is demanded in Latin Rite and that two exactly at the time slotted for the
ONE AND ONLY Syro Malabar Mass in a week.
Second, the “other group” consists
of a few Syro Malabar origin parishioners who do not seem to understand that by
extension of canon law they automatically become members of the St.Augustine
Syro Malabar Parish. Now a demand is created for a Latin Malayalam Mass exactly
at the time the Syro Malabar
Quote: O.E. NO.6
“All members of the Eastern Church
should be firmly convinced that they can and ought always to preserve their own
legitimate liturgical rites and ways of life …
They themselves are to carry out
these prescriptions with the greatest fidelity.. They are to aim always at a
more perfect knowledge and practice of their rites and IF THEY HAVE FALLEN AWAY
DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES OR TIMES OR PERSONS, THEY ARE TO STRIVE TO RETURN TO THEIR
ANSCESTRAL TRADITIONS.
CIC Can. 112 p.2. It is
forbidden to change Rites without the consent of the Apostolic See.
CCEO Can. 38 … the
members of the Oriental Rites still remain inscribed as members of their own
Church.
Unquote
As the Mass was abruptly cancelled,
most the Syro-Malabar remained within the Church reciting Rosary.
Meanwhile it was found that a number of anti-SyroMalabar zealots
(non-Malayalees who used to come to Church at
They then moved on to the verandah
where the Syro-Malabar was standing. Calling others to join they challenged and
charged at the Syro Malabar, and despite the presence of the police fracas and
fist-fight broke-out. Police however brought the situation under control
and took a couple of parishioners into custody. Among those took part in active
violence were total strangers (people who were not members of the
church). The Parish Priest and the Assistant Parish Priest were just
watching and smiling.
The dubious role of the Local Parish
Priest/Assistant Parish Priest:
There were enough confirmations that
tension was purposely created by making a greedy and most unreasonable demand
of canceling impromptu a Mass which had been celebrated at the given time for
the past 14 years. One of the detained (Mr. John of Kerala Hotel)
confirmed at the Police Station that he had been called by the parish
authorities telling that he was to be present in Church premises early on Sunday
because “if you allow this mass to take place on Sunday you will never be able
to get a mass even in the afternoon”. At the Police Station, having
realized how he was misused by the Parish Priest and his Assistant, Mr. John
had unprintable words to describe the two priests. Apart from specially
summoning the anti-Syromalabar members, there were non-Christian bad elements
also inside the Church. When asked, one of them disclosed that
“I do not know anything; I have been
called by the father”.
During the May devotion, on being
permitted for Rosary and Mass, some 200 syro-malabar had arrived at the
Church. Soon after the Rosary, the Sacristan came and told the father
that he had instructions from the Parish Priest not to allow the
A few months back an inter-rite
reconciliation meet was organized in which the two sides participated. In
that meeting a group charged at the syro-malabar to manhandle but somehow, by
the Grace of the Good Lord, they stopped at it, but threat was held out to beat
up the Syro-Malabar. Both the Parish Priest and the Assistant were
present when this happened.
From the above it is clear that the
Parish authorities, out of greed and revenge plotted and connived to create an
atmosphere of tension, trouble and violence. They were just indulging in
sadistic pleasure by making brothers to fight each other within their place of
worship.
Unlike in the Holy Bible, the two of
them knew what they are doing (plotting violence and blood shed between
brothers). If the hierarchy does not intervene, we are sure God
will.
Mr. Jose Augustine
Parish Representative