The Syro-Malabar Media Commission has responded to the recent statements by the former Supreme Court Justice Kurian Joseph, which are confusing and highly defamatory to the organisational structure of the Church, at a public meeting held at the Muttam Forane Church of the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly.

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EXPLANATORY NOTE:

It is found that former Supreme Court Justice Kurian Joseph has made a few statements which are confusing and highly defamatory to the organizational structure of the Church at a public meeting held at the Muttam Forane Church of the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly. The following statement is a response to the above-mentioned speech and offers explanations on some of the topics discussed in the speech.

1. It is clear that the former Justice has spoken on Synodal meetings and the unified mode of the celebration of the Eucharist without understanding the clear differences between the Synods convoked by the Holy Father and the Synods of Oriental Churches. In the global Synod, as per the decision of the Holy Father, the representatives of bishops, priests, and the laity are invited to be participants.

2. In the Synods of the Oriental Churches, only the bishops are members (CCEO c.102 § 1). They function according to the Laws of the Church, approved by the Holy See.

3. CCEO c. 102 § 3 allows the representatives of the laity to participate in the Synod as special invitees. In the Synods of the Syro-Malabar Church, the Major Superiors of Religious Congregations, and secretaries of Pastoral Councils are invited as special invitees, and their opinions are listened to.

4. The Synod that was held in Rome in 1996 was a special one, and Justice Kurian Joseph was invited to participate in it as one of a few special representatives. It is contrary to facts to say that the above meeting was the real Synodal gathering.

5. It is only the Synod of Bishops that can make the final decision in liturgical matters of the Oriental Churches. (CCEO c. 110 § 1)

6. In the Oriental administrative structure, the gathering of the representatives of bishops, priests, and the laity takes place in the Major Archiepiscopal Assembly. This is the main forum where discussions concerning ecclesiastical life take place. Already four Assemblies of this type have taken place. The fifth Assembly will take place from Aug. 23-25, 2024, at the Pastoral Centre of the Eparchy of Palai.

As these are the facts, what Justice Kurian Joseph has given is a statement that contravenes the organizational structure of the Church and is fundamentally false. Justice Kurian Joseph is repeatedly making the argument that there should be a compromise in the process of the implementation of the uniform mode of the Eucharistic celebration. The bishops of the Synod took a decision in 1999 under the leadership of Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil to solve this issue that remained intractable for several decades. But six eparchies did not accept that decision. Then, in August 2021, the Synod decided to impose the uniform mode of celebration all over the Church on the basis of the instruction given over several years. Even though there were differences of opinion, all the 34 eparchies in the Church have decided to implement the decision except the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly.

It has to be stated that the affirmations of Justice Kurian Joseph are contrary to facts and are an attempt to create a smokescreen to hide the facts. The Central Liturgical Committee has done discussions on this matter. Along with that, the revised Thaksa of the mass was sent to all the eparchies for their opinion and was published in the light of those opinions.

The Holy Father speaks on the decision of the Synod in his letter to the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly on March 25, 2022: “It was proposed that all of you should sacrifice some of your special interests and ideas in order to express a much higher love and witness to show the sign of your fraternity. You may have to desist from your own special features of worship, even though you have a strong awareness of your traditions. Thirty-four eparchies have decided to implement this decision, and you refused to follow suit which is really regretful. I do recognize that I am asking you to take a step forward even though it is difficult and painful.” We have to presume that Justice Kurian Joseph is siding with those who have rejected the appeal of the Holy Father in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly.

Justice Kurian Joseph, who had a long career as a judge, is very biased in his comments on the Syro-Malabar Synod and on the present situation of the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly. It is to be held that since Justice Kurian Joseph did not make any protest nor condemned the actions of those who insulted the Head of the Church, burned the effigies of the Major Archbishop and of the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, insulted the members of the Synod, made the people and even the children take an oath not to obey the Synod, shouted slogans and insulting words against the Apostolic Administrator and created obstructions by shouting abusive slogans against the Pontifical Delegate was conniving at these abusive provocations. All the statements and interventions coming from Justice Kurian Joseph denigrating the Church and its ecclesiastical structures are highly deplorable and regrettable and are seen with great pain by those who held him in great esteem in the past.