Dark days of SM Church exposed- A glorified lie: Clamouring hands behind the Pope’s video message.

by Wimal MaryDas

A glorified lie- "The rebellious priests are financially and strategically supported by anti-church groups, especially by non-Christian extremist groups with the intention to divide and destroy the church" Mar. Andrews handed over six- page missive to Pope Francis. ( photo credit to the website of the Archdiocese of Thrissur)

The unprecedented move by Pope Francis to release a video message on the Vatican’s YouTube platform, intending to discipline the faithful of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam with the threat of excommunication, is staggering. So what has trigged such a vehement reaction from the Pope? The simple answer is the Pope is “misinformed” about the true realities of the Kerala Church. He is surrounded by a bunch of leaders with a colonial mindset and skewed views. Read An alarming and eye-opening investigative report

Read also: Part one.Dark days of SM Church. Exposing corruption and power struggle.

Part two

Clamouring hands behind the Pope’s video message

Archbishop Thazhath claims that he was the man behind the video message of Pope Francis. He even lied to the Holy See.  He always raised unsubstantiated arguments such as “the fundamentalist groups who are financially supporting the dissident groups in the Church, in view of destroying the Church” (Synodal news, XXX Synod 2022 Session 1, p.23).  

Andrews stated in the synod (Synodal news, XXX Synod 2022 Session 1, p.23).

Archbishop Andrews raised this controversial argument in the synod of 2022, and he even dared to tell priests in his private circles about the so-called ‘fundamentalist groups’ without divulging the name.  It alluded to his ‘glorified lie’ hinting ‘the fundamentalist group’ that is the Islamic group in Kerala.  This was his strategy to inflame the communal violence between two minority groups in India, which gained momentum when he accused Ernakulam clergy for their resistance to implement the synodal Mass.

"The glorified lie"

Archbishop Andrews's allegation about ‘the fundamentalist groups who are financially supporting the dissident priests stood completely baseless and fabricated, intending to attack the Muslim community in Kerala. Mar. Andrews’ inclination towards CASA is a perfect example. (Christian Association and Alliance For Social Change), a Christian outfit inspired by the RSS of the BJP Government.  He even used the CASA to propagate his communal ideology without any factual evidence of the fundamentalist group's involvement behind the priests of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam. Love Jihad and narcotic jihad were the offshoots of the polarizing strategy of Mar. Andrews Thazath and bishop Kallarangatt.

The Archdiocese is to be divided in order to ensure the easy administration...Some priests and laity want to be seperated from the catholic communion. therefore, we must be prepared to face a possible schism. Accept the resignation of present Ap. Administrator and appoint a new one. Constitution of a tribunal to start canonical procedures against the dissidents will not be effective without a strong curia. Therefore, the curia is to be empowered - Abp. Thazath wrote to Pope.

"The Holy Father shall give an ultimatum for the celebration of synodal mass and its refusal is to be considered as a schism, a separation from the catholic communion" Mar. Andrews requested to His Holiness.

Misleading Rome …Islamophobia is the linchpin

Islamaphobia is an attitude against the Muslim community in general and this is used by people in authority to attain personal gains. This is what Mar Andrews did in Rome.  Archbishop Andrews echoes islamophobia in these words: ‘The liturgical issue of the SM synod is part of hidden agenda of fundamentalist groups operating behind the priests of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam’.  The intent of this crafted argument aimed to win his personal gain of becoming the new Major Archbishop in the upcoming Synod.  A six-page briefing handed over to Pope on the realities behind the insurmountable challenges to implementing the synod's decision was quite convincing.  They have validated the narrative of this sort, expressing his personal difficulty in implementing the Synodal Mass. He succeeded in wooing the decision-makers of the Oriental Congregation to dance according to his tune.

Archbishop Andrews handed over a letter to the Pope Francis on the occasion of Synod in Rome, expressing his willingness to resign. This act of humility was another strategy to make it feel good so as to reach his targeted gain by eyeing the seat of the Major Archbishop. By that time, Mar. Andrews was well aware of the resignation of Cardinal Alencherry.    

It is alarming that a leader of the Syro Malabar Church made such an allegation that the ‘fundamentalist group is against the Synod Mass and they intended to destroy the Syro Malabar Church in India’.  This sensitive briefing escalated the matter to the Papal office in Rome.  His personal friend and current papal delegate, Archbishop Vasil corroborated his briefing - this made it more trustworthy.  ‘ ...a fundamentalist group is trying to destroy the Catholic Church in India’- a glorified lie- made its ramifications in Rome. The president of the Catholic Bishop Conference of India, giving an official briefing, has got its gravity in the Roman administrative parlance.  

Archbishop Andrews Thazath: Pope Francis accepted his resignation.

Islamophobia is the tool the archbishop used to divert attention from his personal failure. His stiff-nicked approach to the pastoral problems created an impasse in the archdiocese of Ernakulam. He could divert the matter of liturgy now to the matter of ecclesial communion. His report has insinuated another problem of ‘losing communion with the Catholic Church and becoming a sect” segregating from the Roman Church.  This is the reason that Pope Francis has used the ‘language of sect’ to talk about the liturgical issues in Kerala. It is only because of misguided information from Mar. Andrews Thazath.

 “ The prejudice of Mar. Andrews has destroyed the good image of the Catholic Church in India, and he used his cooked-up stories to win his personal gains,” A priest on the condition of anonymity told to media.  This was the decisive move for the unprecedented video message from Pope Francis.

Archbishop Andrews visits Muslim leadership in Kerala. His allegation against fundamentalist group connected with Muslim community. Misleading statement in the report contradicts with the truth of the fact.

The archdiocese of Ernakulam, soon after the presbyterium aftermath of the video, demanded a thorough inquiry into the hidden players behind the Pope’s message.

According to the presbyterium, the video message is a collection of factual errors and ambiguities. Pope Francis is supposed to be a man of synodality and walking together sounds like someone’s mouthpiece, which is shocking to the international media and the large number of faithful of the Syro Malabar Church. 

The clamouring hands of the Oriental Congregation succeeded in using the Pope to misguide the Liturgy issue of the Syro Malabar Church.  Those who are influential and close to the Pope have not apprised him properly of the facts and prevailing circumstances of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam.

“The video frames the dispute as an issue of communion, but it is simply a disagreement over liturgy, which the synod’s bishops could easily solve if they had goodwill.  No worldly concerns are underplay behind the dispute over the liturgy, but the issue’s core is the liturgy itself. Pope did not listen to the millions of faithful; instead, he became the prey of self-interest groups,” said Fr. Kuriakose Mundadan in a statement.  

Who are these people who misguided Pope Francis on the realities of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam? It is Mar Thazath and Archbishop Vasil, the Slovakian prelate, and some lobbyists in Rome and at the headquarters of Kakkanad, including a young Vatican diplomat from Changanassery Archdiocese, who closely operated Andrews Thazath’s wishful strategy.

Upcoming

Stay tuned . Part three: Dirty Politics and extremist era of Major Archbishop Alencherry.

Read too: Part one.Dark days of SM Church. Exposing corruption and power struggle.