2023-12-24 19:30:31
St. Mary’s Basilica in Kochi to Remain Closed on Christmas Day Due to Dispute
Kochi: St. Mary’s Basilica, the head church of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, which has been closed for a year due to a mass dispute, will not open on Christmas day either. The administrator in charge of the basilica, Fr. Anthony Poothaveli informed the parishioners. It will be opened after resolving the dispute.
It was announced earlier that the basilica will be opened on Christmas day and a unified Mass will be offered as directed by the Pope and the Synod. The Archdiocesan Administrator Mar Bosco Puttur gave instructions for this to the priests. The Pope’s representative, Cyril Vasil, had also instructed that the archdiocese should offer a unified Mass as per the decision of the Synod on Christmas Day. Then came the announcement that the basilica will not open on Sunday.
The Archdiocesan Protection Committee announced after the meeting of priests in the Archdiocese that a Mass will be offered in the synod style on Christmas Day, followed by a public mass. The position of Almaya Munnetra is that they will not allow the synod to impose mass in the archdiocese. The dissident faction is also demanding that Anthony Poothaveli be removed from the post of administrator.
Last year, on Christmas Eve, there was a major conflict between the official faction and the rebel faction in the Basilica over the offering of Mass. The dissident clergy held mass and the basilica administrator, Fr. The events began with the offering of a united mass under the leadership of Anthony Poothaveli.
Indecency and arguments reached a stage where the police had to intervene. The basilica was later closed.
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