Almaya Munnettam, Daivajana Koottayma, St. Mary's Basilica Koottayma and Athiroopatha Sutharya Samithi, all represenging organisations calling for more transparency and accountability in the administration of the church in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church, has said the laity will react strongly against any decision against the practice of fully congregation-facing Mass.
Any decision against the fully congregation-facing Mass, that had brought peace and harmony in the archdiocese, would not be accepted, said a statement from Augustine Kaniyamattam, representing the laity. He said the implications of the congregation-facing Mass were discussed at a meeting of the representatives of the church on February 13 in detail.
The Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church had said it would continue with the practice of fully congregation-facing Mass though the synod of the Syro-Malabar Church, an oriental church under the Universal Roman Catholic Church, said in August last year that the Mass celebration should be uniform with the celebrant facing the congregation for the first half of the Mass and then facing away from the congregation for the second half.
The archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly said the practice of a fully congregation-facing Mass would be continued.
