For information directly relating to bushfires please call the Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737 or visit the NSW Rural Fire Service Website here. [external link]
We responded to over 150,000 incidents in 2023-24
The incidents displayed below are note-worthy incidents that have been published as media releases or tweets
Details about incidents may change and should not be used as emergency information and/or advice
North Parramatta | The fire at Dunlop Street, North Parramatta has been contained but is expected to smoulder through the morning. Because there may be smoke in the area, residents and businesses in the vicinity are advised to keep doors, windows, and vents closed. View on X [external link]
Fire and Rescue NSW acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders
the sixth largest jewelry retailer globally with over 380 showrooms across 13 countries
is collaborating with Accenture (NYSE: ACN) to accelerate its technology reinvention through an AI-powered
This initiative aims to elevate the customer and employee experience
enhance business agility and create new value and growth for the jewelry retailer’s global operations
Accenture will develop and deliver a scalable and secure technology platform—built on a robust digital core—to streamline Malabar Gold & Diamonds’ business processes including finance
and ultimately drive operational and competitive excellence
the jewelry retailer can better forecast demand and adapt to changing market needs faster than ever before
The custom-built platform will enhance productivity and customer satisfaction by dynamically adjusting sales
marketing and fulfilment plans using real-time information on the availability and pricing of precious metals and stones
this will bolster both online and offline shopping experience for customers from browsing to buying including billing and check-out
the platform will ensure regulatory compliance with local trade laws in 13 markets
Malabar Gold & Diamonds will scale and activate this platform through employee training and adoption strategies to drive a data-driven culture
“Malabar Gold & Diamonds has always been at the forefront of embracing technology to enhance our services and thereby improve the shopping experience of our customers
By teaming with Accenture to deploy a unified
we are reiterating our commitment to becoming a future-ready organization
best practices and new ways of working for the global jewelry industry.”
delivering up to 60% higher revenue growth rates and 40% boost in profit
retailers can standardize processes and build the technology capabilities needed to be ready for continuous reinvention
With ongoing disruption and supply chain complexities
our work with Malabar Gold & Diamonds will help the company unlock new growth avenues and improve operational agility and responsiveness to meet customer needs.”
Social & Governance) has been the primary commitment of the group since its inception
The key ESG focus areas of Malabar Group are Health
Integrating the principles of responsibility and sustainability into its core business
Malabar Group periodically strengthens its ESG goals to remain a socially conscious and responsible organization
The group contributes 5% of its profit to such initiatives in the same country of operation
Contacts:Amal KamalMalabar Gold & Diamondscommunications.intl@malabargroup.comLiza SahaAccentureliza.saha@accenture.comCopyright © 2025 Accenture
Accenture and its logo are trademarks of Accenture
This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks
The action you just performed triggered the security solution
There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase
You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked
Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page
This is probably not the page you’re looking for
The Syro-Malabar Catholic community in Melbourne marked a historic moment on Saturday 23 November 2024
with the consecration of St Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Cathedral in Epping
The event was a culmination of more than a decade of prayer and united effort by a community that has grown significantly since its early days in the 1960s
serves as a spiritual home for Australia’s Syro-Malabar faithful and as a testament to their profound commitment to their faith and traditions
the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
dignitaries and faithful from across Australia and beyond
Apostolic Nuncio to Australia Archbishop Charles Balvo
and many other Australian and international bishops attended
reflecting the global significance of the occasion
In his opening address, Bishop John Panamthottathil CMI of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of St Thomas the Apostle spoke of the perseverance and faith of the Syro-Malabar community
the journey of Syro-Malabar faithful to the shores of Australia began in the 1960s,’ he noted
‘This journey has not been without its hardships and trials
God has been our constant companion and guide.’ He celebrated the cathedral as a ‘landmark event for our community across Australia
Holy Qurbana (Holy Eucharist) and a solemn anointing of the altar and walls of the cathedral
rich in the symbols and traditions of the Syro-Malabar Church
reminded the congregation of their missionary role as migrants
‘You are here not only to make money and make your fortunes but also to make this country spiritually more beautiful,’ he said
‘Our tradition shall be a wealth you are bringing from India
which can make this country more spiritual
more spiritually wealthy and more God-oriented.’
He also expressed ‘with emphatic emotions’ his conviction that the Church ‘is not one reality’ but ‘a communion of churches’
While the Latin Church under the leadership of the Holy Father might predominate
‘all other churches are different gifts of the Holy Spirit.’
Referring to the story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes in John’s Gospel
‘everybody became satisfied.’ When all had eaten their fill
there were 12 baskets of bread left over—a ‘beautiful expression’ of the variety of the Church
‘And each church is a basket of precious traditions
‘I always feel very much obliged to the Latin churches and Latin hierarchy here,’ the Major Archbishop said
‘When our people migrated in the 1960s to this land
You gave your hands that they can move forward,’ he said
expressing his deep gratitude ‘to the Latin hierarchy and Latin parishes for keeping our children
features striking architecture in the Eastern style and can accommodate up to 1,000 worshippers
classrooms for faith education and a chapel
who Pope Francis appointed as founding bishop when he established the eparchy in 2013
reflected on the spiritual significance of the new cathedral
‘This church dedicated to God and for our spiritual wellbeing is a great blessing to us in this land of possibilities and promises,’ he said
while noting that the cathedral’s true purpose lies in its missionary calling
is ‘not how many people came to this church
but how many people went out from here as missionaries of Christ’
The consecration also included a special acknowledgment from Pope Francis
A cross blessed by the Holy Father for the new cathedral was placed on the tabernacle as a symbol of his spiritual presence
Minister for Climate Action and Energy and Resources
and Member for Mill Park in the Victorian Parliament
presented the Victorian Community Excellence Award for Cultural Community Excellence and Social Impact to the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of St Thomas
Bishop Panamthottathil and Bishop Puthur jointly accepted the award on behalf of the Eparchy
The first copy of a special souvenir booklet commemorating the consecration of the new cathedral was also presented to Archbishop Comensoli
The event celebrated not only the cathedral itself but also the people who made it possible
expressed heartfelt thanks to the numerous clergy
tradespeople and benefactors who supported the project over the years
noting that the building and executive committees had convened more than 200 meetings in recent years
He particularly highlighted the leadership of figures such as Bishop Puthur and Fr Matthew Kochupurackal
who initiated and guided the project from its inception
‘We were one in heart and soul … We prayed for so long
I think that was the grace for us to pray more
You worked day and night [and] supported the project financially ..
I pray that you and your families will be abundantly blessed for generations to come through this great work of God.’
The cathedral stands as a spiritual beacon for the Syro-Malabar community and a place for future generations to grow in faith
As Archbishop Christopher Prowse of Canberra said to Shalom World News after the Mass
‘The Syro-Malabar community are like a divine electric current throughout the Catholic Church here in Australia
Bishop Ken Howell of Toowoomba also praised their contributions: ‘The Syro-Malabar community has brought so much to our country,’ he said to Shalom World News
‘They can teach us so much … I’m sure that their influence will continue to help our people to live true to the faith.’
As the faithful left the Cathedral at the end of the consecration and Mass
they carried with them not just memories of a historic day but also a renewed sense of mission
The Syro-Malabar Cathedral is more than a building; it is a symbol of a vibrant faith community that continues to thrive in a new land while preserving its cherished traditions
Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil summed up the spirit of the day: ‘Every individual migrated is a missionary
You may be working in the bank; you may be working in a factory; you may be running a shop
every profession is a way to profess your faith.’
The consecration of St Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Cathedral is not just the end of a journey but the beginning of a new chapter for the Syro-Malabar Church in Australia—a chapter of inspiring faith
Banner image: Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church Raphael Thattil cuts the ribbon on the doors to St Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Cathedral before the consecration
All photos courtesy of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of St Thomas the Apostle
Get the latest posts and other things in your inbox
the most frequently visited Catholic website in Australia
is your daily news service featuring Catholics and Catholicism from home and around the world
A Church official has cautioned Catholics in the largest archdiocese of India’s Syro-Malabar Church against breaking away and seeking to form a separate diocese
Apostolic Administrator Bishop Bosco Puthur of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese urged parishes adopting resolutions to break away not to be carried away by a “wrong campaign”
Bishop Puthur said seeking a separate status is a move by those who want to obstruct the “implementation of the uniform mode of Mass”
which has been approved by the Synod of Bishops
The decades-long liturgy dispute over the rubrics during the Mass in the archdiocese was settled on July 1 after the priests agreed to offer the Synod-approved Mass in which the celebrant faces the altar during the Eucharistic prayers on Sundays and other feast days
The settlement also allowed them to continue with their traditional Mass
during which the priest faces the congregation throughout
was derailed after Bishop Puthur refused to ordain eight deacons on October 1
demanding a written undertaking that the deacons would offer only the Synod-approved Mass
Bishop Puthur recalled a video by Pope Francis released on December 7
asking the faithful and the archdiocesan priests to accept the Synod-approved Mass
“How can the Catholic Church erect a separate diocese under the Pope for those who continue to defy his orders?” Bishop Puthur noted in the circular.
The Synod of Bishops approved the rubrics in August 2021 and ordered all 35 dioceses in India and abroad to implement them from November of that year
“The fact is that the Synod included the rubrics arbitrarily,” in the liturgy text approved by the Pope
spokesperson of the Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency
which has been spearheading a three-year-old protest against the Synod-approved Mass
We are against “illegally incorporating the rubrics into the original liturgy text approved by the Pope,” Mr Kanjookaran said
Catholics urged not to split India’s Syro-Malabar Church (UCA News)
Copyright © 2023 CathNews – A ministry of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference | by Zenneo Design
Enter the username or e-mail you used in your profile
A password reset link will be sent to you by email
Before you can login, you must activate your account with the code sent to your email address. If you did not receive this email, please check your junk/spam folder. Click here to resend the activation email
you will need to re-register with the correct email address
MUMBAI: The Malabar Hill police on Thursday registered an FIR after a 60-year-old non-resident Indian (NRI) alleged that a commercial sex worker he befriended in 2019 cheated him of ₹54 lakh by borrowing money under various pretexts
The police are searching for the woman whom he first met in 2019
(Shutterstock) According to the police they have registered a case against the woman and her accomplices under section 406 (criminal breach of trust)
506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code
the complainant had come from California and resided in his Malabar Hill house
“He visited several places and then went to Lamington Road in South Mumbai where he met the sex worker
Soon they became close to each other,” said the police officer
Priyanka and he were talking to each other on regular basis
“She initially called him asking money as she was ill
she demanded money from him to buy a house
She then took money from him claiming to be caught in a drugs case
he allegedly paid her around ₹54.20 lakh Out of this
₹35 lakh were sent as bank transfers and around ₹19 lakh was paid in cash,” said the police officer
Priyanka allegedly told the complainant that she will return his money
the complainant stopped answering her calls approached the police
“We have registered the case as the matter is old and we are trying to trace the woman,” said the police officer
The 28th edition of the multi-national maritime exercise Malabar has officially commenced aboard the Shivalik-class stealth multi-role frigate INS Satpura in Visakhapatnam
Malabar started in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between the Indian and the US
It has since evolved into a key maritime engagement that now includes participation from Japan and Australia
Malabar 2024 is set to unfold in two phases
encompassing both harbour and sea-based activities
This year’s exercise has drawn participating ships
all aiming to strengthen maritime cooperation
US Pacific Fleet commander Steve Koehler said: “I’m fired up to be here today with my counterparts as our navies train together in the Indian Ocean to strengthen our combat readiness
“Malabar is a great example of a combined team operating together in order to deter conflict and reinforce our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard
Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis
Participants will engage in live weapon firings
The event will feature an array of naval assets
These exercises are designed to enhance the interoperability and joint operational capabilities of the participating navies
Reflecting India’s strategic vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)
Malabar 2024 aligns with the country’s commitment to security and growth
Australia Joint Force Maritime Component commander Jonathan Ley said: “Exercise Malabar is a significant Indo-Pacific maritime activity that deepens interoperability and collaboration among key regional partners
“Australia has participated in previous iterations of Exercise Malabar
was honoured to host the exercise in 2023 and is pleased to participate again in 2024 as part of the Australian Defence Force’s ongoing program of regional presence and engagement.”
Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights
View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network
Japanese and United States naval forces concluded Exercise Malabar 2024 in mid-October with drills in the Bay of Bengal to promote the Allies and Partners’ collective planning and integration of advanced warfare tactics to ensure a Free and Open Indo-Pacific
The 28th iteration of the exercise combined training in surface
and featured eight ships and a dozen aircraft
Malabar began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between India and the U.S
and has grown in complexity and size to include Australia and Japan
It was the fifth time that all four member nations of the Quad partnership participated
“Malabar 2024 reaffirms [the] Indian Navy’s commitment to maritime security and cooperation among like-minded nations in the Indo-Pacific,” Indian Navy Vice Adm
flag officer commanding-in-chief of the Eastern Naval Command
“Our joint efforts aim to enhance operational synergy and foster stronger bonds of friendship
we look towards safeguarding our shared values [to] achieve peace and stability in the region.”
The exercise focused on enhanced cooperation and operational capabilities and included expert discussions on special operations
Drills emphasized maritime domain awareness
Participating assets included the Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate HMAS Stuart
a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft
as well as a submarine and P-8I maritime patrol aircraft
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) deployed the Murasame-class destroyer JS Ariake
the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Dewey and Destroyer Squadron 15
Special forces from all four nations also participated
“I’m fired up to be here … with my counterparts as our navies train together in the Indian Ocean to strengthen our combat readiness
“Malabar is a great example of a combined team operating together in order to deter conflict and reinforce our shared commitment to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
Malabar also demonstrated the Quad’s commitment to protecting sea lines of communication amid increasing assertiveness by the People’s Republic of China (PRC)
aggressive and deceptive tactics in the Indo-Pacific
The PRC claims much of the South China Sea and parts of the East China Sea as its territory despite overlapping claims by Japan and other nations
An international tribunal ruled in 2016 that Beijing had no legal basis for its territorial assertion in the South China Sea
Naval strategists said Malabar reflects Quad initiatives to build trust among partners and scale up the complexity of exercises to improve operational interoperability
a fellow at the New Delhi-based Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
“If the goal is to deter Chinese adventurism
and shape the environment in favor of a free and open seas
then building collective maritime competence in the region is what the four nations are aiming for,” Pandalai wrote in The Diplomat magazine in October 2024
Japan first participated in Malabar in 2007 and JMSDF Vice Adm
Katsushi Omachi lauded the growing collaboration among the Quad nations
“I believe Malabar will contribute to the peace and stability
which lead to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” he said
“Japan-U.S.-India-Australia collaboration is now getting closer than before and I am expecting the multilateral bonds among the navies will deepen.”
the FORUM staff will only use it to communicate with you
We will not share your email address or publish it
Only your name and website will appear on your comment
and website in this browser for the next time I comment
Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value"
Indo-Pacific Defense FORUM is a professional military magazine published quarterly by the commander of the U.S
Indo-Pacific Command to provide an international forum for military personnel of the Indo-Pacific area
The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent the policies or points of view of this command or any other agency of the U.S
All articles are written by FORUM staff unless otherwise noted
The secretary of defense has determined that the publication of this magazine is necessary for conducting public business as required by the Department of Defense
Subscribe to BuzzFeed Daily NewsletterCaret DownI Walked Mumbai's Malabar Hill Walkway
So You Don't Have To (But Probably Should)The BMC decided to cut through Mumbai's concrete jungle to make way for a real one
The skyscrapers are as high as my parents’ expectations
and the highways stretch as long as my journey to meet them
🌳 A 'Elevated Nature Trail', inspired by Singapore's 'Tree Top Walk,' has been developed amidst the lush greenery of Kamla Nehru Park and Firozeshah Mehta Garden at Malabar Hill in Mumbai. 🌿 🌲 This 'Elevated Nature Trail' is now open to the public, offering Mumbaikar a… pic.twitter.com/h1jDWliLIU
With several reels making their way to my feed
I was mesmerised by the beautiful wooden bridge disappearing amidst all the green
I dragged my friends along with me to see what the hype was all about
Unlike most places in the city, there’s no fear of long lines here. The BMC has a dedicated online system for the Malabar Hill Walkway tickets, which are super cheap – just ₹25! A friend dug deeper and found the website link (this link here)
and we got our tickets in less than five minutes
There were multiple time slots to choose from
we decided to ditch the crowd and go in super early at 6 a.m
the site allows you to book tickets for up to 15 days in advance
Since the trail is located all the way in South Mumbai
After getting off at Charni Road station from the Western local line (you can also get off at Grant Road)
it took us about 15 minutes by cab to find the entry point
There are no clear signs or boards marking the walkway entrance—but the kind folks at the bus depot are always willing to help
Just ask your cab driver to take you to Kamala Nehru Park—the entrance is about 150 m before it
The BMC has capped the number of visitors at 200 per slot to avoid turning the trail into a local train
But the check-in process isn’t exactly seamless
slot but arrived at 7 a.m.—and were still allowed in
it felt like we’d been transported to a quieter
calmer space—almost like walking through a hill station
Though we were told that we had an hour to walk around
we didn't have anyone tell us we needed to leave
We took our time soaking in the scenery: tall trees
and a view of Girgaon Chaupatty on the other side
The forest’s shade was such a welcome break from the heat
which was honestly refreshing in a city that thrives on noise and chaos
Though we didn’t spot much—just heard a bird that definitely wasn’t a crow or a parrot—it was still a refreshing change from the usual Mumbai darshan
The website does say that guided tours are provided
you can speak to someone at their ticketing counter
but I was ~influenced~ into visiting the trail...which means there will be a person with a camera to their face saying
Perhaps the most disappointing thing about the trail was that it really didn't let us forget we were in Mumbai
and dilapidated buildings loomed on the other side
almost making it feel like we were at a childrens' park
the BMC’s attempt to create a green space in the middle of the city is pretty cool—and for that
Cheap ticketsShort but refreshing walkTough to find
hail a cab to Matunga for a delicious south Indian breakfast
Malabar Gold and Diamonds is the sixth largest jewellery retailer globally with more than 375 showrooms across 13 countries
The world’s sixth-largest jewellery retailer with an annual turnover in the billions is coming to New Zealand
but the company’s charitable efforts may draw the most attention
Malabar Gold and Diamonds was founded in 1993 and is the flagship company of Malabar Group
a leading diversified Indian business conglomerate
The business will invest more than $75 million to open three showrooms in Auckland
It’s the 14th global country of operation for Malabar
which has more than 375 showrooms across 13 countries
The expansion to New Zealand was made possible following the free-trade agreement between the Government and the United Arab Emirates
where Malabar’s international operations are based
Ahammed said the agreement significantly bolstered its efforts to enter New Zealand
“This agreement not only allows us to strengthen economic ties but also provides us with an opportunity to introduce our products and services to a whole new audience,” Ahammed said
“By capitalising on the opportunities presented by this bilateral trade agreement
Malabar Gold and Diamonds marks a significant milestone in our overarching vision to become the world’s number one jewellery retailer.”
New Zealand Trade Commissioner to the UAE Ahmad Zakkout said it was encouraging to see the agreement driving increased trade and investment so soon
He said he was excited to continue fostering investment and business opportunities between New Zealand and the UAE
An interesting part of the company’s entrance into New Zealand is its charitable efforts
Malabar contributes 5% of all profits to a range of health
and other initiatives in each country it operates in
Abdul Salam said that while the group’s growth has been rapid
it has remained firmly aligned with its ESG principles
“With a 100% track record of strict compliance with local regulations
our expansion into New Zealand will uphold our commitment to operating as a model organisation that prioritises responsibility and sustainability in every aspect of its business,” Salam said
With roughly $6.2 billion in annual turnover
there is a significant amount of resources that could be diverted to help communities across the country
Although no opening date has been revealed for the first New Zealand store
it is sure to interest the main jewellery industry players
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald
Retail NZ members reported more than 140,000 crime incidents in 2023-2024
Message Invalid character found in the request target
The valid characters are defined in RFC 7230 and RFC 3986
Description The server cannot or will not process the request due to something that is perceived to be a client error (e.g.
Note The full stack trace of the root cause is available in the server logs
A priestly ordination in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly on Dec 28
Screenshot from @ekammedia-ernakulamangamal1449 YouTube channel.But the priestly ordinations of eight deacons did not go ahead as planned in December 2023
leaving men who had trained for at least 10 years in limbo
Although the parties to the liturgy dispute reached an uneasy truce in July this year
the eight men continue to await their ordinations
And are there any prospects for a resolution
Share
The priests want to continue celebrating a form of the liturgy in which they face the congregation throughout the Eucharistic celebration
The Synod of Bishops — the Syro-Malabar Church’s supreme authority — appealed in August 2021 for the universal adoption of the uniform mode
in which the priest faces the people during the Liturgy of the Word
turns toward the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist
and then faces the people again after Communion
Thirty-four out of the Church’s 35 dioceses worldwide complied (with sporadic opposition), with the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy alone offering mass resistance
Thazhath’s letter included an oath to be sworn by the deacons
It said: “I will celebrate Holy Qurbana only as per the Synodal decision on the uniform mode of celebration and I will not celebrate illicitly against the Synodal decision.”
None of the deacons appeared to take the oath. Weeks later, Pope Francis accepted the archbishop’s resignation as apostolic administrator amid an overhaul of Syro-Malabar Church leadership
In June this year, the Syro-Malabar Church’s new leaders declared that priests refusing to adopt the new liturgy by July 3 would be considered in schism and barred from ministry
But on the eve of the deadline, both sides reached a fragile compromise in which parishes could continue celebrating the liturgy versus populum (facing the people) if they provided at least one uniform Eucharistic liturgy on Sundays and major feast days
According to local media
clergy of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy threatened to withdraw from the agreement if
the deacons were not ordained by September
The letter, whose authenticity The Pillar has been unable to confirm, expressed concern that the deacons were being portrayed as “martyrs of Qurbana versus populum.”
“The delay to ordaining them is becoming a matter of hyper-sensation day by day,” the letter said, adding: “The delay in their ordinations, as I am warned of, will affect detrimentally the phase of implementation of the uniform mode itself.”
Bishop Puthur is said to have read out part of the letter at a meeting with priests and agreed to write again to the Vatican concerning the deacons’ ordinations.
Meanwhile, frustration is rising in the archeparchy over the lack of priestly ordinations.
Supporters of the versus populum liturgy say it’s unacceptable to require deacons to promise to celebrate only the uniform mode, when the archeparchy’s priests are offering the new liturgy solely on Sundays and other holy days of obligation. But they believe the Syro-Malabar bishops are divided over whether to soften the requirement.
They ask what would happen if a newly ordained priest was assigned to one of the minority of parishes where the congregation opposes any celebration of the uniform mode. They suggest the priests would be forced to celebrate the Eucharistic liturgy privately, leaving them in a humiliating position.
They report that the deacons’ parents are upset by the postponement of their sons’ ordinations and some of the candidates are considering alternative careers.
A priest of the archeparchy told The Pillar: “It is really a very sad and tragic situation in the archdiocese, where some bishops are playing with the lives of eight deacons who have spent all these 12 years in view of receiving ordination.”
Since securing the July truce, Syro-Malabar leaders have seemed in no hurry to tackle the issues underlying the liturgy dispute.
The lack of urgency is perhaps understandable given the disagreement has raged for decades. Supporters of the liturgy versus populum might also be inclined to maintain the status quo.
But the deacons’ plight means that negotiations cannot be put off indefinitely. If more months pass without a resolution, priestly ordinations could become the spark that sets the archeparchy alight again.
Is the Synod willing to give itself a self-inflicted gunshot wound by refusing ordinations, and people refuse to budge?
Well yes, that's always the question, but the point remains: are you willing to torch communion over that, or find another way for them to prove their loyalty?
I think the answer is "no, they aren't", but they (and more importantly, Pope Francis) feel they can't "give in" because of the predent it sets. Yet the precedent of cutting off ordinations in the largest eparchy in that Church might probably be a dangerous precedent as well. And when your bluff is called, the climbdown looks even worse for you.
I'm a Latin who favors ad orientem. I don't like versus populum. Yet I also don't like a weaker more divided Church unless its absolutely necessary to draw a dividing line.
ReplyShare1 replyLatestNo posts
Around 10 transitional deacons are ordained priests each year in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, the Indian diocese on the front line of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church\u2019s liturgical dispute.
Although the parties to the liturgy dispute reached an uneasy truce in July this year
What\u2019s causing the now nine-month hold-up
Share
The Synod of Bishops \u2014 the Syro-Malabar Church\u2019s supreme authority \u2014 appealed in August 2021 for the universal adoption of the uniform mode
Thirty-four out of the Church\u2019s 35 dioceses worldwide complied (with sporadic opposition), with the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy alone offering mass resistance
Thazhath\u2019s letter included an oath to be sworn by the deacons.
It said: \u201CI will celebrate Holy Qurbana only as per the Synodal decision on the uniform mode of celebration and I will not celebrate illicitly against the Synodal decision.\u201D
None of the deacons appeared to take the oath. Weeks later, Pope Francis accepted the archbishop\u2019s resignation as apostolic administrator amid an overhaul of Syro-Malabar Church leadership
In June this year, the Syro-Malabar Church\u2019s new leaders declared that priests refusing to adopt the new liturgy by July 3 would be considered in schism and barred from ministry
But on the eve of the deadline, both sides reached a fragile compromise in which parishes could continue celebrating the liturgy versus populum (facing the people) if they provided at least one uniform Eucharistic liturgy on Sundays and major feast days.
According to local media
whose authenticity The Pillar has been unable to confirm
expressed concern that the deacons were being portrayed as \u201Cmartyrs of Qurbana versus populum.\u201D
\u201CThe delay to ordaining them is becoming a matter of hyper-sensation day by day,\u201D the letter said
adding: \u201CThe delay in their ordinations
will affect detrimentally the phase of implementation of the uniform mode itself.\u201D
Bishop Puthur is said to have read out part of the letter at a meeting with priests and agreed to write again to the Vatican concerning the deacons\u2019 ordinations
Subscribe now
frustration is rising in the archeparchy over the lack of priestly ordinations
Supporters of the versus populum liturgy say it\u2019s unacceptable to require deacons to promise to celebrate only the uniform mode
when the archeparchy\u2019s priests are offering the new liturgy solely on Sundays and other holy days of obligation
But they believe the Syro-Malabar bishops are divided over whether to soften the requirement
They ask what would happen if a newly ordained priest was assigned to one of the minority of parishes where the congregation opposes any celebration of the uniform mode
They suggest the priests would be forced to celebrate the Eucharistic liturgy privately
They report that the deacons\u2019 parents are upset by the postponement of their sons\u2019 ordinations and some of the candidates are considering alternative careers
A priest of the archeparchy told The Pillar: \u201CIt is really a very sad and tragic situation in the archdiocese
where some bishops are playing with the lives of eight deacons who have spent all these 12 years in view of receiving ordination.\u201D
Syro-Malabar leaders have seemed in no hurry to tackle the issues underlying the liturgy dispute
The lack of urgency is perhaps understandable given the disagreement has raged for decades
Supporters of the liturgy versus populum might also be inclined to maintain the status quo
But the deacons\u2019 plight means that negotiations cannot be put off indefinitely
priestly ordinations could become the spark that sets the archeparchy alight again
Cardinal George Koovakad, pictured at the Vatican on Dec. 7, 2024. © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk.The Jan. 24 announcement marks a milestone for the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the pope whose heartland is the southern Indian state of Kerala
It is also a moment of recognition for Indian Catholicism more broadly — and arguably a sign of its rising influence within the global Church
Why was he named head of the Vatican’s interfaith office
And what does that mean for Syro-Malabar Catholics
Share
Cardinal Koovakad is now undoubtedly the most senior Indian Catholic at the Vatican — and at the relatively young age of 51
His new appointment is significant because India is a rising economic and geopolitical power that is thought to have overtaken China as the world’s most populous country
India’s more than 20 million Catholics generally belong to three of the 24 sui iuris Churches that comprise the Catholic Church
They are members of the Syro-Malankara Church
which is by far the largest Church in the Catholic communion
there are roughly half a million Syro-Malankara Catholics
Later, Cardinal Ivan Dias served as prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 2006 to 2011. He was born in Mumbai and ordained a priest of the Latin Rite Bombay archdiocese
Cardinal Koovakad was born in Chethipuzha, Kerala, and incardinated in the Syro-Malabar Archeparchy of Changanacherry. He therefore seems to be the first Syro-Malabar Catholic to be appointed prefect of a Vatican dicastery.
Koovakad with the choir at his episcopal consecration in Changanacherry Cathedral
Chrymedia via Wikimedia (CC0 1.0).Why was he given the new role?The Holy See press office announced Koovakad’s appointment in its usual terse fashion
offering no reason why the pope had asked the Indian cardinal to oversee the Vatican’s interfaith outreach
Koovakad has worked at the Vatican’s powerful Secretariat of State since 2020
so his credentials for the role are not entirely obvious
In an interview with Vatican News
Koovakad seemed to suggest his Indian background prepared him for the new post
He noted that he “was born and raised in a multicultural and multi-religious society where all religions are respected and harmony is preserved.”
Leave a comment
Roughly 80% of India’s estimated 1.4 billion population is Hindu
Indian Christians must navigate an extremely complex cultural and religious landscape that is arguably much less harmonious than the cardinal suggests. Indian Catholics growing up in this environment may develop qualities that are useful in interreligious dialogue. Koovakad identified them as an “attitude of openness, sympathy, and closeness to other traditions.”
The cardinal’s Indian experience could shape his approach to his new job. Under Pope Francis, the interreligious dialogue dicastery has seemed to prioritize relations with the Islamic world and projects in the Middle East. Koovakad may expand the dicastery’s focus further east, seeking to deepen dialogue with Hindus and Buddhists.
While he is known for his cheerful exterior, Koovakad may bring a quietly steely character to the role. Pope Francis referred to him as the “smiling dictator” during a papal trip in 2021 — a joke, no doubt, but likely also a tribute to his management skills.
Pope Francis named Cardinal George Koovakad Friday as prefect of the Vatican\u2019s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
Cardinal George Koovakad, pictured at the Vatican on Dec. 7, 2024. \u00A9 Mazur/cbcew.org.uk.The Jan. 24 announcement marks a milestone for the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
It is also a moment of recognition for Indian Catholicism more broadly \u2014 and arguably a sign of its rising influence within the global Church
Why was he named head of the Vatican\u2019s interfaith office
Share
Cardinal Koovakad is now undoubtedly the most senior Indian Catholic at the Vatican \u2014 and at the relatively young age of 51
His new appointment is significant because India is a rising economic and geopolitical power that is thought to have overtaken China as the world\u2019s most populous country
India\u2019s more than 20 million Catholics generally belong to three of the 24 sui iuris Churches that comprise the Catholic Church
Later, Cardinal Ivan Dias served as prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 2006 to 2011. He was born in Mumbai and ordained a priest of the Latin Rite Bombay archdiocese
Cardinal Koovakad was born in Chethipuzha, Kerala, and incardinated in the Syro-Malabar Archeparchy of Changanacherry. He therefore seems to be the first Syro-Malabar Catholic to be appointed prefect of a Vatican dicastery.
Chrymedia via Wikimedia (CC0 1.0).Why was he given the new role?The Holy See press office announced Koovakad\u2019s appointment in its usual terse fashion
offering no reason why the pope had asked the Indian cardinal to oversee the Vatican\u2019s interfaith outreach
Koovakad has worked at the Vatican\u2019s powerful Secretariat of State since 2020
In an interview with Vatican News
He noted that he \u201Cwas born and raised in a multicultural and multi-religious society where all religions are respected and harmony is preserved.\u201D
Leave a comment
Roughly 80% of India\u2019s estimated 1.4 billion population is Hindu
Indian Christians must navigate an extremely complex cultural and religious landscape that is arguably much less harmonious than the cardinal suggests
Indian Catholics growing up in this environment may develop qualities that are useful in interreligious dialogue
Koovakad identified them as an \u201Cattitude of openness
The cardinal\u2019s Indian experience could shape his approach to his new job
the interreligious dialogue dicastery has seemed to prioritize relations with the Islamic world and projects in the Middle East
Koovakad may expand the dicastery\u2019s focus further east
seeking to deepen dialogue with Hindus and Buddhists
While he is known for his cheerful exterior
Koovakad may bring a quietly steely character to the role
Pope Francis referred to him as the \u201Csmiling dictator\u201D during a papal trip in 2021 \u2014 a joke
but likely also a tribute to his management skills
has completed a pastoral visit to the dioceses of Northern Arabia
where he celebrated Masses and met with local Syro-Malabar communities
The Syro-Malabar Church is based in the Indian state of Kerala, but has a strong presence worldwide due to the Indian diaspora. The high numbers of migrant workers in Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain – which, together with Saudi Arabia, make up the Catholic Church’s Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia – mean that the Syro-Malabar Church has a strong presence there
A press release from the Apostolic Vicariate said that the purpose of Archbishop Thattil’s visit had been to “engage with local communities
and congregants to strengthen the bonds of faith and solidarity”
During the liturgies the Archbishop celebrated
he emphasised the importance of “community
and faith” when navigating “the challenges of contemporary life.”
In his meetings with local Syro-Malabar communities – which are almost entirely composed of migrants – the Archbishop stressed both the importance of “maintaining strong connections to one’s faith and heritage” and also the need to “contribute positively” to one’s current community
Archbishop Thattil was accompanied by Bishop Aldo Berardi
both “reinforced [the] spiritual commitments” of the local Syro-Malabar community
and underscored the importance of them “being active participants in the wider community”
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time
hundreds of Christians turn out to worship at a heritage-listed church on Nudgee Road in the working-class north Brisbane suburb of Northgate
This thriving congregation of Indian migrants and their families belongs to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and call their place of worship St Alphonsa – though many older Catholics who grew up in the area would know the church as St John’s
Hundreds of worshippers from the St Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Church celebrate a feast day in late July.Credit: Facebook
But as the Syro-Malabar community is thriving
another congregation meeting in the same building has been told its Sunday Mass will be cancelled come September
Behind the changes at the Northgate church is a demographic shift mirrored around the country as migrants flock to the affordable suburbs of cities like Brisbane
Established Catholic churches are struggling to attract and retain priests as their congregations age and shrink in size
and as Eastern Catholic and Orthodox churches grow in popularity
which oversees the parish church in Northgate
told the congregation it would no longer provide a priest for the 7.30am Sunday Mass
Source: National Catholic Census Project, based on ABS census data
About 50 English-speaking worshippers have instead been invited to attend Sunday Mass at the parish’s other churches
which offers daily Masses spoken in Malayalam
as the only congregation using the space on Nudgee Road
The yard is also rented out to neighbouring caravan and motorhome hire businesses
with parishioners estimating this made the archdiocese $200,000 a year
In his regular newsletter
Father Michael Grace acknowledged the decision to cancel Sunday Mass had not been universally welcomed by the St John’s congregation
“I apologise for any hurts experienced during this change that have left some
feeling less than fully cared for,” he said
“It is a difficult duty to oversee this kind of change
Grace declined interviews with Brisbane Times
the archdiocese provided a statement saying the changes were widely accepted by parishioners
who had been offered help to travel to Mass at the parish’s other churches
It said priests were only permitted to conduct three Masses on Sundays
and that the decision had been made to “ensure the appropriate distribution of priests across the region”
Question marks remain over the future of the St John’s church building on Nudgee Road
The heritage-listed St John’s is Australia’s only church built specifically as a Navy war memorial.Credit: Tony Moore
Opened by former prime minister John Gorton
once a fighter pilot and later minister for the Navy
it is an official war memorial for 171 Brisbane sailors who died in World War II
The archdiocese said it had no plans to sell the land
despite offers from nearby caravan and RV companies
and all rental revenue generated by the church grounds was retained by the parish community
who provides Mass for the Syro-Malabar church
said his 500-strong community was unsure of their future
“We don’t know what [the archdiocese’s] plan is,” Varghese said
A religious procession passes along a Northgate street lined with caravan and motorhome companies.Credit: Facebook
The Syro-Malabar Eastern Catholic Church is the second-largest Eastern Catholic church in the world
There are seven local parishes in Queensland and 40 nationwide
Eastern Catholic churches are considered to be in full communion with the Vatican
although they do not practise the same Latin rites
head of Australian Catholic University’s school of theology
said the growth of migrant communities had “always been a strength of the Catholic Church in Australia”
“The proportional growth of these communities is a trend across the country and is reflected in Catholic parishes
This thriving congregation of Indian migrants and their families belongs to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and call their place of worship St Alphonsa \\u2013 though many older Catholics who grew up in the area would know the church as St John\\u2019s
About 50 English-speaking worshippers have instead been invited to attend Sunday Mass at the parish\\u2019s other churches
Father Michael Grace acknowledged the decision to cancel Sunday Mass had not been universally welcomed by the St John\\u2019s congregation
\\u201CI apologise for any hurts experienced during this change that have left some
feeling less than fully cared for,\\u201D he said
\\u201CIt is a difficult duty to oversee this kind of change
who had been offered help to travel to Mass at the parish\\u2019s other churches
and that the decision had been made to \\u201Censure the appropriate distribution of priests across the region\\u201D
Question marks remain over the future of the St John\\u2019s church building on Nudgee Road
\\u201CWe don\\u2019t know what [the archdiocese\\u2019s] plan is,\\u201D Varghese said
we just don\\u2019t know what we will do.\\u201D
head of Australian Catholic University\\u2019s school of theology
said the growth of migrant communities had \\u201Calways been a strength of the Catholic Church in Australia\\u201D
\\u201CThe proportional growth of these communities is a trend across the country and is reflected in Catholic parishes
associations and vocations,\\u201D he said
Source: National Catholic Census Project, based on ABS census data
Coogee and Malabar among those rated ‘poor’ as swimmers urged to check water quality online
More than a quarter of New South Wales’ favourite swimming spots have been polluted by faecal matter over the past year including Sydney’s Coogee, Bronte and Malabar beaches
With the Bureau of Meteorology predicting a wet summer, the government has urged swimmers to check its online water quality monitor for updates after its annual state of the beaches report found 28% of the 218 tracked sites experienced pollution.
As in previous years, estuaries, lakes and lagoons were the worst affected in 2023-2024 as they collect large amounts of runoff compared with ocean beaches, the NSW State of the Beaches report released on Saturday shows.
Read moreWhile 95% of the 118 monitored ocean beaches were graded as “very good” (with generally excellent microbial water quality) or “good” (where swimming should only be avoided the day after heavy rain)
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
The “poor” beaches – those susceptible to faecal pollution and not always suitable for swimming
especially after rain – were Shelly beach in Manly
Malabar and Boat Harbour beaches in Sydney
View image in fullscreenShelly beach in Manly
Malabar and Surf beach were also rated “poor” last year
said Malabar beach takes longer to recover from stormwater events because it is at the end of a long
The government previously invested $2.5m into the diversion of stormwater from Coogee beach with a plan due to be presented to the local council for consideration next year
of the 73 monitored estuarine swimming sites were graded as “very good” or “good”
including Rose Bay beach and Murray Rose pool
Foreshores beach in Botany Bay and Gymea Bay baths in Port Hacking in Sydney’s south were again graded as “very poor”
which the government recommending avoiding swimming at these sites “almost all of the time”
which include Wentworth Falls Lake beach in the Blue Mountains and Arthur Keough Reserve on the mid-north coast
The report was prepared off the results of 20 audits of field samples collected and analysed throughout the year by scientists working for the government’s Beachwatch program in partnership with Sydney Water and Hunter Water.
Sign up to Afternoon Update: Election 2025
Free daily newsletterOur Australian afternoon update breaks down the key election campaign stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters
While the report said the results were good overall, it noted water quality had declined slightly from the previous year.
It attributed this to wet months in many coastal areas including above average rainfall in April and other “significant rainfall events”, although rainfall totals were average or below average in winter and early spring last year.
Read moreRainfall is the major driver of pollution in recreational swimming sites because it generates stormwater runoff and “untreated discharges” from the wastewater treatment and transport systems
The report warned that contamination with faecal material from animals or humans could pose “significant health problems” including gastroenteritis and respiratory tract infection because it meant bacteria and other pathogens could be in the water
said the state’s beaches almost always had good or very good water quality
but she encouraged people to check the Beachwatch website for live updates after any rain
a range of popular inland swimming spots including the hugely popular Penrith beach will be added” she said
Penrith beach opened as a trial last summer
so its water quality was not monitored as part of the report
The government has said it will spend $2.5m to ensure the manmade beach in western Sydney
Indian jewellery giant Malabar Gold & Diamonds has unveiled plans to open three stores in New Zealand
The sixth-largest jewellery retailer in the world said it would invest $75 million to enter the New Zealand market
Founded in 1993 and headquartered in the southern Indian state of Kerala
Malabar Gold & Diamonds operates more than 375 stores in 13 countries worldwide
The retailer's expansion follows New Zealand's comprehensive economic partnership agreement with the United Arab Emirates
The free trade agreement immediately lifted duties on 98.5 percent of New Zealand's exports to the UAE
increasing to 99 percent within three years
Trade between New Zealand and the UAE is currently valued at $1.3 billion
"As a globally recognized jewellery retailer managing its international operations from the UAE
the comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and New Zealand significantly bolsters our efforts to enter this new market," said M.P Ahammed
New Zealand's trade commissioner to UAE and consul general to Dubai and Northern Emirates
said it was encouraging to see the agreement drive increased trade and investment between the two countries
"We're excited to continue fostering investment and business opportunities between New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates," Zakkout said
made its Australian debut last year with a store in Sydney
"New Zealand is a market brimming with potential
offering us an exceptional opportunity to connect with a diverse customer base that appreciates the artistry
quality and authenticity synonymous with Malabar Gold & Diamonds," said Shamlal Ahamed
managing director of international operations at Malabar Gold & Diamonds
IndoNZ is a dedicated initiative producing content for and about the diverse Indian community in New Zealand
Radio New Zealand is an independent public service multimedia organisation that provides audiences with trusted news and current affairs in accordance with the RNZ Charter. Contact the team by email at indonz@rnz.co.nz
A doctoral thesis discussed at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross analyzes some events related to the ancient Syro-Malabar Church
which in recent years has been involved in a series of controversies
Pope greets representatives of the Syro-Malabar Church during an audience at the Vatican (CNS photo / Vatican Media)
– Supernatural Syro-Malabar Catholic Churchbased in Kerala (India)
is one of the oldest Christian communities in the East
founded according to tradition by the Apostle Thomas
With more than five million believers and a strong institutional presence
this Church plays an important role both in the spiritual life of its members and in the social and cultural fabric of the country
it has been overwhelmed by a series of scandals and controversies that have deeply undermined the confidence of the faithful and called into question its institutional credibility
This climate of mistrust was analyzed and documented in detail by student Nibin Thomas, who last Monday presented his doctoral thesis at the School of Institutional Social Communication of the University of California at La Paz. Pontifical University of the Holy Crossdirected by Professor Juan Narbona
Through the analysis of specific cases and the responses of a sample of catechists in the archieparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly - 5,332 catechists
14 priests and 156 seminarians - the research basically showed how inadequate crisis management by church authorities has fueled a sense of insecurity and distrust among the faithful
leading to the erosion of trust in the church hierarchy itself
The succession of scandals - cases of sexual abuse
financial scams and accusations of cover-ups - has devastatingly eroded perceptions of trust in the Syro-Malabar Church
83.8 % of respondents said these events had generated an unprecedented crisis; more than 77 % confirmed that the controversies had compromised their personal relationship with the Church
perceiving a growing disconnect between the institution and the values of transparency and justice it should embody
A key element contributing to the erosion of trust is the perception that the Church hierarchy has mishandled these crises
73.4 % of respondents believe that the authorities have tried to protect the perpetrators and cover up the crimes
instead of dealing with them with transparency and moral rigor
This sense of protecting the guilty was interpreted as a betrayal of expectations of truth and justice
Institutional communication itself was perceived as insufficient
with 65.9 % of respondents disagreeing with the methods of information used by the Church during the crises
the digital revolution and social networks have amplified the impact of scandals
According to 74.6 % of the catechists interviewed
the diffusion of these tools has undoubtedly aggravated controversies
obviously favoring the spread of often negative news in a viral way
it reveals the lack of preparedness of ecclesiastical bodies to respond to these information flows in a timely and adequate manner
"that highlights the need for a proactive and strategic approach to communication on the part of the Syro-Malabar Church
but also to foster a transparent narrative that can regain the trust of the faithful."
The study presented at the University of the Holy Cross clearly provides food for thought that can also be applied to other ecclesial contexts
In an increasingly connected and transparent world
ecclesiastical institutions are called to review their methods of crisis management and their way of communicating in general
is an important reminder to promote a culture of accountability
crucial elements for rebuilding those bonds of belonging that have been compromised by what has happened
it is necessary to learn to avoid cover-ups
to act decisively against the perpetrators and to communicate with clarity and transparency
can foster genuine reconciliation in the community
it should be recalled that the situations and internal divisions experienced by the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly in recent years even required the intervention of the Holy See
Pope Francis had expressed in a video message his concern for the conflictive situation that had arisen around the way of celebrating the liturgy
encouraging the archbishopric to a path of unity and renewal
in which he exhorted the community to "walk together with the people of God because unity overcomes all conflict." Unity that must be rebuilt hand in hand with the recovery of trust
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers
As global diets increasingly focus on health and sustainability
the demand for omega-3-rich seafood continues to rise
Omega-3 fatty acids – particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) – have wide-ranging health benefits
These essential fatty acids cannot be synthesized by the human body in significant quantities
and seafood is a major dietary source for these fatty acids
with aquaculture products becoming increasingly important in supplying these important nutrients
efforts to improve the quality of farmed fish are focused on species like the Malabar red snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus)
a high-value marine species prized for both its commercial appeal and potential for nutritional enhancement
This snapper is already favored by consumers for its taste and market value
and recent research is now showing how its nutritional profile can be significantly improved through selective breeding
This article, summarized from the original publication
reports on a study that explored how the genetic potential of Malabar red snapper can be unlocked to enhance its omega-3 fatty acid content
This novel research provides valuable insights into how selective breeding programs can be used to improve the nutritional profile of farmed red snapper
benefiting both consumers and supporting more sustainable aquaculture practices
To assess the potential for improving omega-3 content in Malabar red snapper
our research team conducted an extensive genetic analysis on over 600 red snapper individuals from a commercial aquaculture farm in Singapore
The primary goal of the study was to investigate the heritability of two key omega-3 fatty acids
docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid
well-known for their crucial roles in human health and increasingly in demand
Improving their levels in farmed fish could present a major advantage for many aquaculture operations
the researchers employed a custom 70K SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism
a single base-pair difference in the DNA sequence of individual members of a species) array to assess the genetic variation and fatty acid composition of the fish
SNP arrays allow for a high-resolution genetic analysis
helping researchers identify specific genetic markers linked to desirable traits like increased DHA and EPA levels
This technology is crucial for identifying genetic variations within the fish population that could be targeted through selective breeding programs to enhance these traits
The fish were raised in controlled aquaculture environments to ensure consistency in environmental factors
which allowed the researchers to isolate genetic effects on fatty acid composition
The fingerlings were sourced from several commercial hatcheries in the region
where they were raised in nursery tanks before being transferred to grow-out tanks
and muscle fillets were collected for fatty acid profiling
The research team analyzed the fatty acid profiles
The key objective of the study was to determine the heritability of these traits
which would indicate whether selective breeding could be an effective tool for improving the omega-3 content in future generations of red snapper
The study sought to establish a genetic foundation for future breeding programs aimed at enhancing the nutritional value of this important aquaculture species
Long-chain PUFA requirements of juvenile California yellowtail
The results of the study were highly promising
revealing significant genetic variation in the levels of DHA and EPA within the Malabar red snapper population
This variation is crucial because it demonstrates that selective breeding could be used to enhance these traits in future generations of fish
The study found that DHA had a heritability of 32 percent
indicating that nearly one-third of the variation in DHA levels among the fish could be attributed to genetic factors
This means that selective breeding programs targeting DHA levels could effectively increase the concentration of this important omega-3 fatty acid in farmed red snapper
suggesting that genetic selection could also be used to improve EPA levels in future generations of this snapper species
the combined heritability of DHA and EPA was determined to be 46 percent
demonstrating a strong potential for genetic selection to enhance overall omega-3 content in this red snapper
This finding is crucial for aquaculture farmers
as it indicates that selective breeding could lead to substantial improvements in the nutritional profile of farmed red snappers without compromising other important traits
such as growth rates or disease resistance
In addition to high heritability for omega-3 content
the study also found that Malabar red snapper exhibited favorable ratios of DHA to EPA and omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids
These ratios are important for assessing the overall nutritional value of the fish
The DHA/EPA ratio in Malabar red snapper was measured at 3.92
which is higher than that found in many other farmed fish species
A high DHA/EPA ratio is particularly beneficial for cardiovascular health
as both DHA and EPA are known to reduce the risk of heart disease and inflammation
Increasing this ratio through selective breeding could make Malabar red snapper even more attractive to health-conscious consumers who are looking for seafood with enhanced omega-3 content
The study also found that the omega-6/omega-3 ratio in Malabar red snapper was lower than that found in many other species
A lower omega-6/omega-3 ratio is desirable for human health
as it helps reduce inflammation and supports overall cardiovascular health
so balancing the intake of omega-6 and omega-3 is crucial for maintaining health
The ability to breed fish with an improved omega-6/omega-3 ratio further highlights the potential of Malabar red snapper as a top choice for consumers seeking healthier seafood options
Selective breeding has long been a powerful tool in agriculture
where it has been used to enhance desirable traits in crops and livestock
the principles of selective breeding are increasingly applied to improve the quality and nutritional value of farmed fish
The findings of this study demonstrate that selective breeding for omega-3 content in Malabar red snapper could revolutionize the nutritional quality of farmed fish in Singapore and beyond
allows breeders to identify genetic markers associated with specific traits
such as higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids
By incorporating genomic selection into breeding programs
aquaculture farms can accelerate the process of producing fish with enhanced nutritional profiles
This approach not only improves the quality of the fish but also reduces reliance on feed supplements
which are often used to boost the omega-3 content of farmed fish
The ability to identify and select fish with favorable genetic profiles means that future generations of red snapper could naturally contain higher levels of DHA and EPA
This reduces the need for expensive feed additives
contributing to more sustainable aquaculture practices
Genomic selection is a powerful tool that allows breeders to make informed decisions based on the genetic makeup of their stock
ensuring that the best traits are passed on to future generations
Study results provide a strong foundation for selective breeding programs aimed at improving the nutritional quality of Malabar red snapper
By focusing on the genetic factors that influence fatty acid composition
the aquaculture industry can produce fish that are naturally have higher omega-3s levels
offering greater health benefits to consumers
The ability to enhance DHA and EPA levels through selective breeding presents an exciting opportunity for aquaculture operations to improve the nutritional value of their products while maintaining sustainability
This research has significant implications for the Australian aquaculture industry
particularly with high-value species like snappers
As Australian consumers become more health-conscious and demand seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids
the ability to selectively breed Malabar red snapper with enhanced nutritional traits presents a unique opportunity
By implementing selective breeding programs based on the findings of this study
Australian farmers could increasingly meet the growing demand for omega-3-rich seafood while also improving the sustainability of their operations
Selective breeding for improved fatty acid profiles could also strengthen Australia’s position in global seafood markets
where the demand for high-nutritional-value fish continues to rise
the availability of locally farmed red snapper with higher omega-3 content could contribute to better public health outcomes by providing an accessible
reducing reliance on imported fish oil supplements in feed aligns with Australia’s sustainability goals and supports the growth of the local aquaculture industry
As Australia continues to invest in aquaculture
particularly in regions like Queensland and Western Australia
selective breeding programs like the one outlined in this study will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the industry
The ability to produce fish that are both nutritious and sustainably farmed will help Australia remain competitive on the global stage while contributing to the nation’s food security and economic growth
… please consider supporting GSA’s mission to advance responsible seafood practices through education
The Advocate aims to document the evolution of responsible seafood practices and share the expansive knowledge of our vast network of contributors
By becoming a Global Seafood Alliance member
you’re ensuring that all of the pre-competitive work we do through member benefits
Individual membership costs just $50 a year
Grassy Key Aquatic Center and the University of Miami combined to refine aquaculture technology of mutton snapper other marine fish species.
Costa Rica's Martec has partnered with Scottish genetics company Xelect to ramp up production of spotted rose snapper through modern techniques.
Partial protection of coral reef fisheries can boost production
ease fishers’ efforts and ultimately alter the composition of their yields.
Developing alternative sources of information could help determine the status of snapper and grouper fisheries
as well as other data-limited fisheries.
The Responsible Seafood Advocate supports the Global Seafood Alliance’s (GSA) mission to advance responsible seafood practices through education
The requester URL cannot be found in our server. If you followed a broken URL please send an email to catholicna@catholicna.com so we can solve the problem. Click here to return to the homepage
CNA is a service of EWTN News, Inc.
Opponents of the Syro-Malabar Church’s uniform liturgy discuss their response to the June 9 joint circular letter. Courtesy photo.Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, the new head of the Syro-Malabar Church, and Bishop Bosco Puthur, the apostolic administrator of the tinderbox Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, presented the ultimatum in a June 9 joint circular letter
Share
The Syro-Malabar Church is the largest of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the pope after the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and has a growing presence outside of India
Adding to the sense of intrigue, the letter’s publication was preceded by the leak of a draft text dated June 15
the day after the online meeting of the Syro-Malabar Synod of Bishops
In their sharply worded four-page letter dated June 9
Major Archbishop Thattil and Bishop Puthur set out the consequences of failing to embrace the new “uniform” liturgy before the deadline
who is considered the Syro-Malabar Church’s founder
“You are formally informed that priests who do not comply with this final instruction of ours and who celebrate the Holy Eucharist after July 3 in a manner different from the uniform liturgy will be considered to have left the communion of the Catholic Church,” they wrote
canonically defining failure to comply as schism and carrying a penalty of excommunication
“These priests will be barred from priestly ministry in the Catholic Church from July 4
It remains to be seen if this new threat of canonical sanction for breach of communion will be carried through after similar warnings were disregarded
Leave a comment
Thattil and Puthur said that priests of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy studying or serving outside of the archeparchy
must send a written statement confirming they will use the uniform mode
“Those who do not give the said oath within the specified time will be banned from priestly ministry in the Catholic Church without further warning,” the circular said
“This will be reported for further action to the authorities of the places where these priests are serving or studying.”
also said that lay people would not fulfill their Sunday obligation by attending Eucharistic liturgies offered by priests “who defy the pope and are excommunicated from the Church.”
It added: “Marriages performed by priests prohibited by the Church from performing priestly services will be void
Priests who are not approved by the diocese cannot manage parishes and institutions or legally represent them.”
Candidates for the priesthood in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy must also declare in writing that they accept the uniform liturgy
The letter provoked an immediate backlash from opponents of the uniform liturgy
who represent the overwhelming majority of priests and lay people in the archeparchy
A video shared on messaging apps showed a copy of the circular letter being set alight — a common form of protest against the uniform liturgy.
The June 9 circular letter is set alight in a video shared on messaging apps.Riju Kanjookaran, a spokesman for the Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency, which opposes the new liturgy, told UCA News June 10: “Let me make it very clear we are not going to accept the Synod-approved Mass.”
He added: “This is an arbitrary decision taken without consulting our priests and lay leaders
Thattil and Puthur recalled in their joint circular that Pope Francis received Syro-Malabar leaders at the Vatican May 13
In an address, the pope praised the “glorious legacy” of the roughly 5 million-strong Eastern Church
They wrote: “The Holy Father’s paternal heart has been deeply hurt by the fact that the clear instructions given twice in writing and once in a video message regarding the implementation of the unified Holy Eucharist were ignored.”
“In the meeting with the bishops and the speech that followed
the Holy Father clearly stated that the position of the disobedient is outside of the congregation.”
“We lovingly request once again of all the priests
and lay members of the archeparchy that you understand and obey these words of the pope
Thattil and Puthur said that following the meetings with the pope and Vatican officials, all the Syro-Malabar Church’s 36 dioceses were still obliged to accept the uniform liturgy, as requested in August 2021 by the Synod of Bishops
The uniform mode seeks to reconcile two different ways of celebrating the Eucharistic liturgy in the Syro-Malabar Church: one in which the priest faces East throughout (ad orientem) and another in which the priest faces the people throughout (versus populum)
A priest celebrating according to the uniform mode — also known as the “50:50 formula” — faces the people during the Liturgy of the Word
The synod has faced fierce resistance in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy — the Syro-Malabar Church’s most populous and prominent diocese — where most priests and laity want the version of the Eucharistic liturgy in which the priest faces toward the people throughout to be recognized as a legitimate liturgical variant
The threat of canonical penalties has hung over the archeparchy’s approximately 400 diocesan priests since an August 2023 visit to India by papal delegate Archbishop Cyril Vasil’
Vasil’ told supporters of the versus populum liturgy that they risked penalties including excommunication if they continued to resist the uniform liturgy. But they defied his deadline to adopt the new liturgy.
Concluding their joint letter, Thattil and Puthur wrote: “This issue has been made so complicated by the un-ecclesial and irrational strictness adopted by a few priests and laity, and the never-acceptable slogans and bad propaganda.”
“No longer will anyone be allowed to remain in the Catholic Church community by challenging the Church system and the Church authorities and not following ecclesiastical discipline. That is why we are forced to enter into strict measures.”
They added: “We strongly urge that not a single one of you should leave the communion of the Holy Catholic Church by believing the words of a few priests and other persons with vested interests, as Pope Francis called for in his video message.”
“In the name of God, we beseech you all to remain united with our Mother, the Holy Catholic Church, with the head of the Church, the Holy Father, with the Synod of Bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church, and with our Catholic heritage formed over millennia.”
ReplyShareLatestNo posts
Syro-Malabar Church leaders in India announced Sunday that clergy who refuse to adopt a new form of the Eucharistic liturgy by July 3 will be considered to be in schism and barred from priestly ministry.
Opponents of the Syro-Malabar Church\u2019s uniform liturgy discuss their response to the June 9 joint circular letter. Courtesy photo.Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, the new head of the Syro-Malabar Church, and Bishop Bosco Puthur, the apostolic administrator of the tinderbox Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, presented the ultimatum in a June 9 joint circular letter
Share
Adding to the sense of intrigue, the letter\u2019s publication was preceded by the leak of a draft text dated June 15
the sui iuris Church\u2019s highest authority.
Major Archbishop Thattil and Bishop Puthur set out the consequences of failing to embrace the new \u201Cuniform\u201D liturgy before the deadline
who is considered the Syro-Malabar Church\u2019s founder.
\u201CYou are formally informed that priests who do not comply with this final instruction of ours and who celebrate the Holy Eucharist after July 3 in a manner different from the uniform liturgy will be considered to have left the communion of the Catholic Church,\u201D they wrote
canonically defining failure to comply as schism and carrying a penalty of excommunication.
\u201CThese priests will be barred from priestly ministry in the Catholic Church from July 4
Leave a comment
\u201CThose who do not give the said oath within the specified time will be banned from priestly ministry in the Catholic Church without further warning,\u201D the circular said.
\u201CThis will be reported for further action to the authorities of the places where these priests are serving or studying.\u201D
also said that lay people would not fulfill their Sunday obligation by attending Eucharistic liturgies offered by priests \u201Cwho defy the pope and are excommunicated from the Church.\u201D
It added: \u201CMarriages performed by priests prohibited by the Church from performing priestly services will be void
Priests who are not approved by the diocese cannot manage parishes and institutions or legally represent them.\u201D
A video shared on messaging apps showed a copy of the circular letter being set alight \u2014 a common form of protest against the uniform liturgy.
The June 9 circular letter is set alight in a video shared on messaging apps.Riju Kanjookaran, a spokesman for the Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency, which opposes the new liturgy, told UCA News June 10: \u201CLet me make it very clear we are not going to accept the Synod-approved Mass.\u201D
He added: \u201CThis is an arbitrary decision taken without consulting our priests and lay leaders
and nobody is bound to comply with it.\u201D
In an address, the pope praised the \u201Cglorious legacy\u201D of the roughly 5 million-strong Eastern Church
They wrote: \u201CThe Holy Father\u2019s paternal heart has been deeply hurt by the fact that the clear instructions given twice in writing and once in a video message regarding the implementation of the unified Holy Eucharist were ignored.\u201D
\u201CIn the meeting with the bishops and the speech that followed
the Holy Father clearly stated that the position of the disobedient is outside of the congregation.\u201D
\u201CWe lovingly request once again of all the priests
Thattil and Puthur said that following the meetings with the pope and Vatican officials, all the Syro-Malabar Church\u2019s 36 dioceses were still obliged to accept the uniform liturgy, as requested in August 2021 by the Synod of Bishops
A priest celebrating according to the uniform mode \u2014 also known as the \u201C50:50 formula\u201D \u2014 faces the people during the Liturgy of the Word
The synod has faced fierce resistance in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy \u2014 the Syro-Malabar Church\u2019s most populous and prominent diocese \u2014 where most priests and laity want the version of the Eucharistic liturgy in which the priest faces toward the people throughout to be recognized as a legitimate liturgical variant.
The threat of canonical penalties has hung over the archeparchy\u2019s approximately 400 diocesan priests since an August 2023 visit to India by papal delegate Archbishop Cyril Vasil\u2019.
Vasil\u2019 told supporters of the versus populum liturgy that they risked penalties including excommunication if they continued to resist the uniform liturgy. But they defied his deadline to adopt the new liturgy
Thattil and Puthur wrote: \u201CThis issue has been made so complicated by the un-ecclesial and irrational strictness adopted by a few priests and laity
and the never-acceptable slogans and bad propaganda.\u201D
\u201CNo longer will anyone be allowed to remain in the Catholic Church community by challenging the Church system and the Church authorities and not following ecclesiastical discipline
That is why we are forced to enter into strict measures.\u201D
They added: \u201CWe strongly urge that not a single one of you should leave the communion of the Holy Catholic Church by believing the words of a few priests and other persons with vested interests
as Pope Francis called for in his video message.\u201D
we beseech you all to remain united with our Mother
with the Synod of Bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church
and with our Catholic heritage formed over millennia.\u201D
and there’s always a way to get there faster
one becomes awfully familiar with the colour grey
this simple walkway in Malabar Hill invites the city’s residents to pause
The walkway was also supported by the Nepean Sea Road Citizen's Forum— a group which Rahul Kadri was actively a part of
Ariane Shah and Khushi ShethThis endeavour to make the Malabar Hill forest accessible was not just a professional commitment for Kadri, it was rooted in his desire to revive the area’s forgotten past. He remembered exploring the forest and its various trails as a young boy
and saw it fade from the public’s memory over the course of 30 years
The next time he encountered the forest was several years later
when the city was forced to come to a standstill
In an attempt to find open and sparsely occupied spaces outside the four walls of their home
Kadri and his wife jumped over the fence surrounding the forest during lockdown
He rediscovered the beauty of the forest from his childhood
and resolved to bring it back into the city’s consciousness
Ariane Shah and Khushi ShethWhen designing the project, Kadri knew that sustainability had to be a priority
The aim of creating the Malabar Hill walkway was to facilitate harmony between humans and nature without disrupting the forest’s delicate eco-system
This was the reasoning behind the elevation of the trail
The structure consists of a walkway made with Merbau wood that is supported by epoxy-coated steel columns
This ensures that the trail stays elevated and allows for minimal interference with the forest floor
Ariane Shah and Khushi ShethHowever, the most stunning aspect of the Malabar Hill walkway is the panoramic views of the city that can be observed from various points. While the trees create a wonderful cover of greenery, the Arabian Sea can be seen peaking through the leaves. The best view of the city can be observed from a special deck created at the point where the trail loops back on itself. From this vantage point, one can observe all of Girgaon Chowpatty, and the sea beyond it.
The Malabar Hill Elevated Nature Trail is a beautiful blend of nature and design. As it winds through the forest, the walkway provides a rare opportunity to experience the city, the sea, and the forest all in one place.
The Malabar Hill Elevated Nature Trail is open from 5 a.m to 9 p.m on all days.
Recounts in the Malabar/Mausica and Arouca/Lopinot constituencies have maintained the status quo, with the victor remaining PNM candidates Dominic Romain and Marvin Gonzales respectively.
A statement from the Elections and Boundaries Commission on May 3 said the "comprehensive and transparent recount process" saw a marginal adjustment in votes for Malabar/Mausica but the results ultimately remained.
According to preliminary results published by the EBC, Romain initially got 7,690 votes, UNC's Dominic Smith got 7,428 votes and Patriotic Front's Anita Hankey received 834. There were 48 rejected ballots making it a total of 16,000 ballots were cast.
Following the recount, the PNM candidate received an additional vote now totalling 7,691. The UNC candidate received nine additional votes to make 7,437 and the Patriotic Front's candidate remained with 834 votes. The number of rejected ballots went down to 45. This means a total of 16,007 ballots were cast; seven more than in the initial tally.
"The recount was conducted in full accordance with established electoral laws and procedures, pursuant to Election Rule 101, due to a formal request by the UNC for general recounts, including poll card verifications, in three constituencies," the EBC's release said.
While the recount didn't return a favourable result for Smith, a statement on May 3 said he continues to hold his head up high.
"We may have lost by a mere 254 votes, but this campaign was never just about a number. It was about a movement, a movement to reimagine what leadership can look like in our communities. Together, we closed a gap of over 6,000 votes. Together, we proved that when you lead with purpose, walk with people, and serve with heart, anything is possible."
He thanked constituents for the love they showed to him on the campaign trail. He also thanked those who helped him during the election and the UNC. He also committed himself to the party for the work ahead as it forms the government for the next five years after securing 26 seats to 13 victory over the PNM. The Tobago People's Party secured both Tobago seats.
A later release from the EBC showed while figures changed, the outcome also remained.
The Arouca/Lopinot constituency race initially saw Gonzales getting 7,961 votes. The recount gave him 7,958 votes. UNC's Dr Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj and NTA's Nicolene Taylor Chinchamachee's votes remained unchanged with 7,699 and 146 votes respectively. Patriotic Front's Kenny Nicholas Lee lost one vote in the recount, bringing him down to 537. Rejected ballots increased from 37 to 41.
The election's authority said recounts were still ongoing in the San Fernando East constituency.
The San Fernando East seat also went to PNM's Brian Manning with 7,026 votes while UNC's John Michael Ali Bocus got 6,357 and Patriotic Front's Kenrick Serrette received 490.
The three recounts were requested by the UNC following the April 28 general election.
This story was originally published with the title PNM Malabar/Mausica candidate remains winner after EBC recount" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.
A recount in the Malabar/Mausica constituency has maintained the status quo with the victor remaining PNM candidate Dominic Romain.
An Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) release on May 3 said the "comprehensive and transparent recount process" saw a marginal adjustment in votes but the results ultimately remained.
The election's authority said recounts were still ongoing in the Arouca/Lopinot and San Fernando East constituencies.
The Arouca/Lopinot constituency race saw a PNM victory with former MP Marvin Gonzales getting 7,961 votes. UNC's Dr Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj got 7,699 votes, Patriotic Front's Kenny Nicholas Lee got 538 and NTA's Nicolene Taylor Chinchamachee got 146.
'+data.articles.position1[i].title+' '+paid_span+'
Share
is the largest of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the pope after the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
The Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy is the biggest of the 35 Syro-Malabar dioceses worldwide
and is the see of the Eastern Church’s Major Archbishop
When demonstrators reached the Major Archbishop’s House on Sunday
three protesters sought to dramatize the tensions in the archeparchy
Beside him stood an older man with a Vatican flag
An ashen-faced figure dressed as the Major Archbishop then rushed over to the two men
threatening them with an orange-handled pruning saw as they begged for mercy
The protest march was led by lay Catholics carrying a banner calling on Bishop Bosco Puthur
Other protesters carried signs with messages such as “We demand the ordination of our 8 deacons now” and “Holy See: Hear the cry of the largest Syro-Malabar diocese.”
and Italian — suggesting the protest was also aimed at an international audience
Leave a comment
a prominent lawyer and social critic who is not a member of the Syro-Malabar Church
The Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy has been in turmoil since 2017
when it emerged that real estate transactions had reportedly lost the archeparchy $10 million
The “land scam” scandal provoked a rebellion among the archeparchy’s priests and a lengthy legal battle for Church officials accused of mismanagement
the Synod of Bishops — the Syro-Malabar Church’s supreme authority — asked all dioceses in 2021 to accept the introduction of the new Eucharistic liturgy
Most priests and lay people in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy refused to adopt the new “uniform” liturgy
arguing that the archeparchy’s priests should be allowed to continue celebrating the liturgy facing the people throughout (versus populum)
the priest faces the people during the Liturgy of the Word
turns toward the altar (ad orientem) for the Liturgy of the Eucharist
Protesters carry a banner in Ernakulam, southern India, on Oct. 13, 2024. Courtesy photo.Physical clashes between supporters and opponents of the uniform liturgy in December 2022 led to the closure of the archeparchy’s cathedral
In June, Syro-Malabar leaders declared that priests refusing to adopt the new liturgy by July 3 would be considered in schism and barred from ministry
But just before the deadline elapsed, both sides reached a compromise in which parishes could continue celebrating the liturgy versus populum if they provided at least one uniform Eucharistic liturgy on Sundays and major feast days
Yet the compromise didn’t resolve the deacons issue. The deacons were due to be ordained in December 2023, but the ceremony was postponed after candidates were asked to promise in writing to celebrate only the new uniform mode after their ordinations
Supporters of the versus populum liturgy argued it was wrong to require deacons to promise to celebrate only the uniform mode when the archeparchy’s priests were offering the new liturgy solely on Sundays and other holy days of obligation
But in an Oct. 12 press release, the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy said the dispensation for the archeparchy’s priests to continue celebrating the versus populum liturgy was a “temporary concession,” rather than a recognition of a right.
“Therefore, the prefect of the [Vatican] Dicastery for the Eastern Churches has stated that this exemption is not available to the new priests,” it explained.
Protesters with Vatican flags and placards in Ernakulam
Courtesy photo.The press release said the priestly ordinations were only delayed because the deacons had not submitted a written undertaking to celebrate only the new liturgy
It added that the apostolic administrator Bishop Puthur had written to the deacons Oct
and decide the dates of their priestly ordinations
But the press release failed to quell the protests the following day. According to Indian media
protesters came from all the archeparchy’s major “forane” churches
converging on the Major Archbishop’s House from two directions
The protests came shortly after Bishop Puthur’s announcement of sweeping changes to the archeparchy’s curia
The Oct. 9 personnel changes included the removal of the archeparchy’s protosyncellus
Opponents of the new liturgy expressed outrage at the appointment of Fr
Joshy Puthuva as the archeparchy’s new chancellor
arguing that the priest had been embroiled in the 2017 “land scam” scandal
Sunday’s protesters said they would not cooperate with Puthur and the new curia officials
As well as calling for Puthur’s resignation
the priestly ordination of the eight deacons
the protesters asked for the archeparchy to be given “independent” status
Media suggested this would entail removing the archeparchy from the oversight of Syro-Malabar Church leaders and making it directly subject to the Holy See
Sources told The Pillar the protesters were also thinking of the model of the Archeparchy of Kottayam, a unique ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Kerala solely for members of the Knanaya ethnic group
The Syro-Malabar Media Commission criticized the independence appeal
In an Oct. 14 social media post, it said it was “ironic” that protesters who rejected Pope Francis’ calls to accept the new liturgy were “trying to become an independent church under the pope.”
“The truth is that those who carry on activities that hurt the pope by holding papal flags don’t have faith in God or a sense of sin,” the commission said.
“The good believers of Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy who have faith and enlightenment can identify such conspiracy tactics.”
An ashen-faced figure dressed as the Major Archbishop then rushed over to the two men, threatening them with an orange-handled pruning saw as they begged for mercy."
-So, as vanilla of a protest as possible in Ernakulam-Angamaly? Nice to know that they're mellowing out.
I'm not sure "Blame Rome, they wanted this, we didn't" is something that is sustainable, for Rome or for the Synod.
Either way, it is rather incredible how everyone refuses to get to yes and something that has long been a relatively easy problem to manage has caused all this trouble, all because egos are now involved.
Often that's an overly simplistic take that leaves out nuance for the worse, but really, this is almost entirely ego driven at this point.
ReplyShareLatestNo posts
Thousands of Catholics took to the streets in southern India Sunday as a tentative truce in the decades-long Syro-Malabar liturgy dispute continued to unravel.
Share
is the largest of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the pope after the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
and is the see of the Eastern Church\u2019s Major Archbishop
When demonstrators reached the Major Archbishop\u2019s House on Sunday
representing the deacon\u2019s family.
Other protesters carried signs with messages such as \u201CWe demand the ordination of our 8 deacons now\u201D and \u201CHoly See: Hear the cry of the largest Syro-Malabar diocese.\u201D
and Italian \u2014 suggesting the protest was also aimed at an international audience
Leave a comment
The \u201Cland scam\u201D scandal provoked a rebellion among the archeparchy\u2019s priests and a lengthy legal battle for Church officials accused of mismanagement.
the Synod of Bishops \u2014 the Syro-Malabar Church\u2019s supreme authority \u2014 asked all dioceses in 2021 to accept the introduction of the new Eucharistic liturgy
Most priests and lay people in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy refused to adopt the new \u201Cuniform\u201D liturgy
arguing that the archeparchy\u2019s priests should be allowed to continue celebrating the liturgy facing the people throughout (versus populum)
Protesters carry a banner in Ernakulam, southern India, on Oct. 13, 2024. Courtesy photo.Physical clashes between supporters and opponents of the uniform liturgy in December 2022 led to the closure of the archeparchy\u2019s cathedral
which remained shut until March this year.
In June, Syro-Malabar leaders declared that priests refusing to adopt the new liturgy by July 3 would be considered in schism and barred from ministry
But just before the deadline elapsed, both sides reached a compromise in which parishes could continue celebrating the liturgy versus populum if they provided at least one uniform Eucharistic liturgy on Sundays and major feast days.
Yet the compromise didn\u2019t resolve the deacons issue. The deacons were due to be ordained in December 2023, but the ceremony was postponed after candidates were asked to promise in writing to celebrate only the new uniform mode after their ordinations
Supporters of the versus populum liturgy argued it was wrong to require deacons to promise to celebrate only the uniform mode when the archeparchy\u2019s priests were offering the new liturgy solely on Sundays and other holy days of obligation.
But in an Oct. 12 press release, the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy said the dispensation for the archeparchy\u2019s priests to continue celebrating the versus populum liturgy was a \u201Ctemporary concession,\u201D rather than a recognition of a right.
\u201CTherefore, the prefect of the [Vatican] Dicastery for the Eastern Churches has stated that this exemption is not available to the new priests,\u201D it explained.
Courtesy photo.The press release said the priestly ordinations were only delayed because the deacons had not submitted a written undertaking to celebrate only the new liturgy.
But the press release failed to quell the protests the following day. According to Indian media
protesters came from all the archeparchy\u2019s major \u201Cforane\u201D churches
converging on the Major Archbishop\u2019s House from two directions
The protests came shortly after Bishop Puthur\u2019s announcement of sweeping changes to the archeparchy\u2019s curia
The Oct. 9 personnel changes included the removal of the archeparchy\u2019s protosyncellus
Joshy Puthuva as the archeparchy\u2019s new chancellor
arguing that the priest had been embroiled in the 2017 \u201Cland scam\u201D scandal.
Sunday\u2019s protesters said they would not cooperate with Puthur and the new curia officials
As well as calling for Puthur\u2019s resignation
the protesters asked for the archeparchy to be given \u201Cindependent\u201D status.
Sources told The Pillar the protesters were also thinking of the model of the Archeparchy of Kottayam, a unique ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Kerala solely for members of the Knanaya ethnic group
In an Oct. 14 social media post, it said it was \u201Cironic\u201D that protesters who rejected Pope Francis\u2019 calls to accept the new liturgy were \u201Ctrying to become an independent church under the pope.\u201D
\u201CThe truth is that those who carry on activities that hurt the pope by holding papal flags don\u2019t have faith in God or a sense of sin,\u201D the commission said.
\u201CThe good believers of Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy who have faith and enlightenment can identify such conspiracy tactics.\u201D
A sparse congregation attends the new uniform Eucharistic liturgy at St
but with a declaration that hundreds of priests had fallen into schism by refusing to accept a new Eucharistic liturgy by the July 3 feast of St
the apostle considered the Eastern Church’s founder
Share
But this intricate and often chaotic dispute doesn’t seem to be heading for a neat ending.
And perhaps that’s not surprising. After all, the disagreement was never solely about which way the priest should face during the Holy Qurbana, as the Eucharistic liturgy is known in the Syro-Malabar Church.
It was also about how authority is exercised in a synodal Church, the tension between uniformity and diversity, and the profound consequences of a breakdown in trust.
None of these matters can be resolved by setting a deadline and threatening severe penalties for failure to comply. They take years of painstaking effort. And even then, they often arise again in different forms.
Screenshot from @SyroMalabarChurch YouTube channel.How we got hereFirst
The Syro-Malabar Church is the second-largest of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome after the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Priests in this ancient Eastern Church, based in Kerala, southern India, originally celebrated the Eucharistic liturgy facing east (ad orientem)
Following centuries of contact with the Latin Church and the liturgical reforms introduced after the Vatican Council II
clergy began to celebrate the liturgy facing the people (versus populum)
The synod of bishops — the autonomous Eastern Church’s supreme authority — was concerned that these liturgical divergences undermined the Syro-Malabar Church’s unity
the synod approved a compromise known as the “50:50 formula,” in which the priest faces the people during the Liturgy of the Word
and faces the people again after Communion
Despite Vatican support, the “uniform” liturgy was not universally adopted. In 2021, the synod of bishops asked all of the Syro-Malabar Church’s 35 eparchies (dioceses) to accept the new Eucharistic liturgy by November that year
Most complied, but there was mass resistance in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, the Eastern Church’s most populous and prominent diocese, which had seen a “priests’ rebellion” in 2017 over contentious land deals by Church authorities
Most of the archeparchy’s 655,000 members wanted to retain the liturgy versus populum
which they had celebrated for more than 50 years
For the past three years, Syro-Malabar Church leaders have sought to impose the new liturgy on the archeparchy through a succession of deadlines backed by threats of canonical disciplinary action
with the support of Vatican officials and Pope Francis
which remained closed for more than a year
In December 2023, Pope Francis overhauled the leadership of the Syro-Malabar Church and the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy
seemingly in a fresh effort to resolve the dispute
Soon after his election, the Eastern Church’s new leader, Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, sought to impose the new liturgy on the archeparchy through a deadline backed by threats of canonical disciplinary action
Thattil and the archeparchy’s new apostolic administrator Bishop Bosco Puthur declared in a June 9 joint circular letter that priests who refused to adopt the new liturgy by July 3 would be considered to be in schism and barred from priestly ministry
The new uniform liturgy is celebrated at St
A great deal has happened since the publication of the June 9 letter
Here’s a quick summary of the developments:
In a leaked June 13 letter to Major Archbishop Thattil, five Syro-Malabar bishops expressed firm opposition to the threat to excommunicate priests
A June 14 online meeting of the synod of bishops called to address the liturgy dispute failed to reach a conclusion
Only seven out of 328 churches in the archeparchy complied with a request to read out the circular letter on Sunday, June 16. Lay people were filmed burning copies of the letter and even turning it into paper boats and setting it adrift on Kerala’s Vembanad Lake
Fr. Kuriakose Mundadan, secretary of the presbyteral council of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy, appealed to India’s Latin Catholic bishops to intervene in the Syro-Malabar Church’s liturgy dispute
The synod of bishops resumed its online discussion June 19. A day later, reports emerged of a surprise breakthrough with the potential to end the dispute
The tentative agreement appeared to collapse after the publication of a June 21 post-synodal note signed by Major Archbishop Thattil and apostolic administrator Bishop Puthur
upholding the threat of punishment for failure to comply with the deadline
Where have these weeks of tumult left the Syro-Malabar Church
the scenario in which more than 400 priests of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy are declared to be in schism has been averted
This is thanks to the July 1 explanatory note
conceding that parishes can continue to celebrate the Holy Qurbana versus populum
provided they offer minimal recognition of the uniform liturgy
According to the Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency, which represents priests, religious, and laity opposed to the new liturgy, the compromise emerged from two days of discussion at the Syro-Malabar Church’s headquarters at Mount St
not all parishes in the archeparchy are expected to provide the uniform liturgy immediately
Churches where the congregation has clearly expressed its opposition
Early reports suggest that July 3 passed peacefully in the archeparchy. According to Indian media, 250 out of 321 churches celebrated a uniform liturgy
The uniform liturgies reportedly saw low attendance
while liturgies versus populum drew large numbers
Leave a comment
Major Archbishop Thattil and Bishop Puthur’s explanatory note included an undertaking that the synod of bishops would consult with the archeparchy’s advisory council
and pastoral council before taking further actions concerning the liturgy
Opponents of the new liturgy are hopeful that the synod of bishops will now pursue ways of permanently resolving the crisis
in consultation with those most affected by the dispute
But they also retain a lingering suspicion of the synod
because they believe that it has reneged repeatedly on agreements
The Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency has said it will continue to press for the liturgy versus populum to be recognized as the official mode of celebration in the archeparchy and for “restitution” following the land deal controversy
Those demands show that the underlying differences have not been settled
despite the last-minute agreement to avoid a split in the Eastern Church
the Syro-Malabar Church as a whole is changing rapidly
it has established itself successfully far beyond the borders of its homeland in India’s southern Kerala state
Due to migration, it is now a global body with dynamic congregations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Oceania. As Pope Francis put it in a May address to a Syro-Malabar group led by Major Archbishop Thattil
“the faithful of your beloved Church are known
for the ‘vigor’ of their faith and piety.”
But as the diaspora grows and bishops in Kerala struggle to persuade young Catholics to remain in India
questions about the Church’s complex identity become more pressing
What is essential to that identity and what is merely contingent
Does the Syro-Malabar Church need to do more to recover its ancient Eastern identity
Or should it accept that centuries of Latinization has left it with a permanent Western imprint
the child of Syro-Malabar parents from India growing up in a suburb of Chicago or Sydney
They are also the questions that appear to lie behind the Eastern Church’s “liturgy wars.” It seems that where there are disagreements about identity
these are so complicated that they cannot be resolved with circular letters or explanatory notes
or even resolutions from synods of bishops or papal interventions
They can only be worked out — slowly and sometimes painfully — within the roughly five million-strong Syro-Malabar community in the coming years
The rumored restrictions on the Latin Mass should be read with this entire fiasco in mind. Alongside Fiducia supplicans, we're learning the limits of papal power, and how it's one thing to say "do this or you're a schismatic", and quite another to actually follow through on that threat.
ReplyShare1 replyLatestNo posts
July 3, 2024, was supposed to be the day that the decades-long liturgy dispute in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church finally ended.
the apostle considered the Eastern Church\u2019s founder.
Share
But this intricate and often chaotic dispute doesn\u2019t seem to be heading for a neat ending.
And perhaps that\u2019s not surprising. After all, the disagreement was never solely about which way the priest should face during the Holy Qurbana, as the Eucharistic liturgy is known in the Syro-Malabar Church.
None of these matters can be resolved by setting a deadline and threatening severe penalties for failure to comply. They take years of painstaking effort. And even then, they often arise again in different forms.
Priests in this ancient Eastern Church, based in Kerala, southern India, originally celebrated the Eucharistic liturgy facing east (ad orientem).
clergy began to celebrate the liturgy facing the people (versus populum).
The synod of bishops \u2014 the autonomous Eastern Church\u2019s supreme authority \u2014 was concerned that these liturgical divergences undermined the Syro-Malabar Church\u2019s unity
the synod approved a compromise known as the \u201C50:50 formula,\u201D in which the priest faces the people during the Liturgy of the Word
Despite Vatican support, the \u201Cuniform\u201D liturgy was not universally adopted. In 2021, the synod of bishops asked all of the Syro-Malabar Church\u2019s 35 eparchies (dioceses) to accept the new Eucharistic liturgy by November that year
Most complied, but there was mass resistance in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, the Eastern Church\u2019s most populous and prominent diocese, which had seen a \u201Cpriests\u2019 rebellion\u201D in 2017 over contentious land deals by Church authorities
Most of the archeparchy\u2019s 655,000 members wanted to retain the liturgy versus populum
which they had celebrated for more than 50 years.
For the past three years, Syro-Malabar Church leaders have sought to impose the new liturgy on the archeparchy through a succession of deadlines backed by threats of canonical disciplinary action
with the support of Vatican officials and Pope Francis.
In December 2023, Pope Francis overhauled the leadership of the Syro-Malabar Church and the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy
seemingly in a fresh effort to resolve the dispute.
Soon after his election, the Eastern Church\u2019s new leader, Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, sought to impose the new liturgy on the archeparchy through a deadline backed by threats of canonical disciplinary action.
Thattil and the archeparchy\u2019s new apostolic administrator Bishop Bosco Puthur declared in a June 9 joint circular letter that priests who refused to adopt the new liturgy by July 3 would be considered to be in schism and barred from priestly ministry
A great deal has happened since the publication of the June 9 letter.
Here\u2019s a quick summary of the developments:
In a leaked June 13 letter to Major Archbishop Thattil, five Syro-Malabar bishops expressed firm opposition to the threat to excommunicate priests.
A June 14 online meeting of the synod of bishops called to address the liturgy dispute failed to reach a conclusion.
Only seven out of 328 churches in the archeparchy complied with a request to read out the circular letter on Sunday, June 16. Lay people were filmed burning copies of the letter and even turning it into paper boats and setting it adrift on Kerala\u2019s Vembanad Lake
Fr. Kuriakose Mundadan, secretary of the presbyteral council of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy, appealed to India\u2019s Latin Catholic bishops to intervene in the Syro-Malabar Church\u2019s liturgy dispute
The synod of bishops resumed its online discussion June 19. A day later, reports emerged of a surprise breakthrough with the potential to end the dispute
The tentative agreement appeared to collapse after the publication of a June 21 post-synodal note signed by Major Archbishop Thattil and apostolic administrator Bishop Puthur
According to the Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency, which represents priests, religious, and laity opposed to the new liturgy, the compromise emerged from two days of discussion at the Syro-Malabar Church\u2019s headquarters at Mount St
Early reports suggest that July 3 passed peacefully in the archeparchy. According to Indian media, 250 out of 321 churches celebrated a uniform liturgy
while liturgies versus populum drew large numbers.
Leave a comment
Major Archbishop Thattil and Bishop Puthur\u2019s explanatory note included an undertaking that the synod of bishops would consult with the archeparchy\u2019s advisory council
and pastoral council before taking further actions concerning the liturgy.
because they believe that it has reneged repeatedly on agreements.
The Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency has said it will continue to press for the liturgy versus populum to be recognized as the official mode of celebration in the archeparchy and for \u201Crestitution\u201D following the land deal controversy.
it has established itself successfully far beyond the borders of its homeland in India\u2019s southern Kerala state.
Due to migration, it is now a global body with dynamic congregations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Oceania. As Pope Francis put it in a May address to a Syro-Malabar group led by Major Archbishop Thattil
\u201Cthe faithful of your beloved Church are known
for the \u2018vigor\u2019 of their faith and piety.\u201D
questions about the Church\u2019s complex identity become more pressing.
They are also the questions that appear to lie behind the Eastern Church\u2019s \u201Cliturgy wars.\u201D It seems that where there are disagreements about identity
there will also be disputes about liturgy.
or even resolutions from synods of bishops or papal interventions.
They can only be worked out \u2014 slowly and sometimes painfully \u2014 within the roughly five million-strong Syro-Malabar community in the coming years