The Syro-Malabar Church does not, in fact, view this a problem worth solving. They were happy with an incremental approach, locking in 95% of what they have been after for decades, and dealing with the one eparchy slowly. It was Rome who wanted them to act quicker, telling the Synod to get it done, wrapping up for themselves a long cherished goal of giving Eastern Churches freedom to remove the Latin additions. (Which leads to an interesting thought experiment: what if they were given "freedom" and just don't care?)
Yet the Pope barely has the respect and trust of his own bishops, to say nothing of another sui iuris Church. So he sends in a delegate to handle the manner, and he chooses maybe the stupidest, most counterproductive way possible: he gives a speech that wasn't for the Christians in those parishes: it was a speech to flatter Rome. A true audience of one. It backfired spectacularly.
Yet the Pope can't climb down: if he really wants to let the local Church decide it, they are saying loud and clear what they are going to do: nothing. They are going to do nothing and declare victory.
And that group, especially the clergy involved should be ashamed...I don't care how much they "care." To disrupt the Qurbano, to encourage disunity by violence...the Church doesn't need that kind of pastoral "care."
A few things continue to hold this back from resolving itself:
1) the “Western Sensibilities” of Roman Curials are totally foreign to the culture of native Indians. We’re seeing violence/vandalism/arson of effigy because the people of India are handling this the “Indian Way,” in accord with how they are wont to do with other major political or social tensions. Rome is unprepared, and incapable, of understanding how differently an Indian anthropology thinks and functions. Bharat is not Western Europe.
2) Rome decided it wanted to strong-arm their uniform liturgy, but was not willing to commit. Much like a parent who makes a loud spectacle to their bratty child, “Braxton Jasper Anderson! So help me, if you do that one more time we are leaving!” and then the bluff is called when the parents do nothing, Rome loses any perception of wielded authority. “You will celebrate the uniform liturgy, or else!” “Or else what? No we won’t!” “Oh, um, well, um, maybe we can send a delegate and discuss this?”
3) Rome is encountering a Syro-Malankar version of the same problem faced in the Latin Rite in the US/UK/France: that they make great platitudes that the local Church should have more authority to synodally make their own decisions about liturgy and discipline, but if you don’t conveniently come to the same conclusion that Rome expects, then there’s a problem. Rome wants to eat their cake and still have it.
As I’ve prescribed before: if Rome wants to exert their authority, the only option left is to place the eparchy under interdict, revoke the faculties of the clergy, and literally lock the doors of churches with chains to ensure there’s no question of one’s ability to administer licit Sacraments in the Church.
Do you think we could get a uniform liturgy for the Latin rite as well?
Good joke.
I think there's an elephant in the room:
The Syro-Malabar Church does not, in fact, view this a problem worth solving. They were happy with an incremental approach, locking in 95% of what they have been after for decades, and dealing with the one eparchy slowly. It was Rome who wanted them to act quicker, telling the Synod to get it done, wrapping up for themselves a long cherished goal of giving Eastern Churches freedom to remove the Latin additions. (Which leads to an interesting thought experiment: what if they were given "freedom" and just don't care?)
Yet the Pope barely has the respect and trust of his own bishops, to say nothing of another sui iuris Church. So he sends in a delegate to handle the manner, and he chooses maybe the stupidest, most counterproductive way possible: he gives a speech that wasn't for the Christians in those parishes: it was a speech to flatter Rome. A true audience of one. It backfired spectacularly.
Yet the Pope can't climb down: if he really wants to let the local Church decide it, they are saying loud and clear what they are going to do: nothing. They are going to do nothing and declare victory.
Considering the violence that resulted in the archdiocese, some people appear to care very much.
And that group, especially the clergy involved should be ashamed...I don't care how much they "care." To disrupt the Qurbano, to encourage disunity by violence...the Church doesn't need that kind of pastoral "care."
A few things continue to hold this back from resolving itself:
1) the “Western Sensibilities” of Roman Curials are totally foreign to the culture of native Indians. We’re seeing violence/vandalism/arson of effigy because the people of India are handling this the “Indian Way,” in accord with how they are wont to do with other major political or social tensions. Rome is unprepared, and incapable, of understanding how differently an Indian anthropology thinks and functions. Bharat is not Western Europe.
2) Rome decided it wanted to strong-arm their uniform liturgy, but was not willing to commit. Much like a parent who makes a loud spectacle to their bratty child, “Braxton Jasper Anderson! So help me, if you do that one more time we are leaving!” and then the bluff is called when the parents do nothing, Rome loses any perception of wielded authority. “You will celebrate the uniform liturgy, or else!” “Or else what? No we won’t!” “Oh, um, well, um, maybe we can send a delegate and discuss this?”
3) Rome is encountering a Syro-Malankar version of the same problem faced in the Latin Rite in the US/UK/France: that they make great platitudes that the local Church should have more authority to synodally make their own decisions about liturgy and discipline, but if you don’t conveniently come to the same conclusion that Rome expects, then there’s a problem. Rome wants to eat their cake and still have it.
As I’ve prescribed before: if Rome wants to exert their authority, the only option left is to place the eparchy under interdict, revoke the faculties of the clergy, and literally lock the doors of churches with chains to ensure there’s no question of one’s ability to administer licit Sacraments in the Church.