Jesuit Archbishop Cyril Vasil, pontifical delegate for Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, has met Pope Francis on his return to the Vatican after his 18-day stay in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
A press statement from the Media Commission of the Syro-Malabar Church says the Jesuit archbishop informed the Pope on August 23 about his visit to Kochi in Kerala and apprised him about the current situation in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
The August 24 press statement issued by commission secretary Vincentian Father Antony Vadakkekara says the delegate told the Pope that he had held discussions with the various groups in the archdiocese and provided necessary guidelines.
The Pope asked him to remain firm to implement the decisions taken by the Syro-Malabar Synod and approved by the pontiff, the statement adds.
Archbishop Vasil has also given a detailed report on the crises in the arch-diocese to Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Oriental Congregation.
The delegate said that he would continue his efforts to implement in the archdiocese the synod mode of celebrating Mass where the priest faces the altar during the main part.
Archbishop Vasil came to Kochi in Kerala, the headquarters of the Syro-Mala-bar Church, on August 4 and stayed there until August 22.
On his arrival, he announced that the Pope had sent him to make sure that the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese adopt the uniform mode, decided by the Syro-Malabar Synod.
Most Catholics and priests in the archdiocese – the largest in the Oriental Catholic Rite – oppose the synod Mass and insist on celebrating Eucharist where the priest faces the congregation.
The archdiocese has celebrated Mass in this way for more than 50 years, following the teachings of the Vatican II. However, six of 328 parishes in the archdiocese defied the delegate’s order to celebrate Mass in the synod way on August 20. He had also threatened to excommunicate priests who defied the August 17 order.