An Honourable Bishop and a Blatant Statement – Chacko Kalarickal

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Sri Chacko Kalarickal is an authority in Syromalabar Church history, administration, liturgy and related issues. He is also author of several books on Syromalabar Chrch Reform. He was one of the speakers at the Knanaya and Endogamy Seminar on August 3rd  2013 at the Cathedral in Chicago. He now lives in Detroit, USA.


Selecting a partner in a marriage is an individual’s right and preference. It can be endogamous or exogamous. The interference of a third party like religious leaders to block marriages is perceived as most inappropriate. Worse still is to deny membership in a parish which in this case is against the mind of Jesus who even reached out to Samaritans.

Religious segregation is one of the potential causes of endogamy. But religious endogamy has lost its teeth considerably in the post civil rights era in the US. If that is the case with the religious endogamy there is no place for endogamous marriages within a particular caste.

maxresdefaultBishop Angadiath’s letter of September 19, 2014, fosters racial segregation and therefore it is like going back to older times as far as civil rights in US are concerned. His letter is also a fatwa on ‘melting pot’ philosophy in Catholicism. When he denies the membership in a personal parish for non-knanaya spouses and his/her children, he is establishing racial barriers in the marriage marketplace. In these modern times it is absolutely obsolete and ridiculous.

 Angadiath’s letter clearly indicates that Catholic clerical leaders are becoming leading promoters of Caste Endogamy. Moreover, how can there be a distinct ethnic community within the Syro Malabar Church and practice Endogamy kicking out some members out just because he/she are married to those outside the community?

There are no religious barriers that separate the Northists and Southists. They both are members of the Syro Malabar Church. They have the same patrimony, liturgy, spirituality, discipline, canon law, etc. They both are the members of the Sui Juris Church. They are under the same head of the Church namely the Major Archbishop. If that is the case, as you ask, “ Who destroys Catholic Families?”

Decades ago, when the membership question came up in1986  Rome decreed that personal missions/parishes can be established only if non-knanaya and knanaya members get the membership and enjoy equal rights and equal obligations in the missions/parishes. When Angadiath became bishop of St Thomas Syro Malabar diocese of Chicago, Rome gave him the directive to follow the Oriental Congregation’s decision on this matter. In his letter to Mr. Cyriac Parathara on December 19, 2003 the bishop states: “But no Knanaya Mission in this diocese is strictly endogamous. Knanaya Catholics who get married to non-Knanaya spouses will continue in their Knanaya Mission along with their spouses and children.”

Arch Bis Apostolic Nuncio of the US wrote to Mr. Joy Oravanakulam: “The Congregation for the Oriental Churches intends that compliance with its 1986 Rescript regarding Knanaya be vigorously observed.” But bishop Angadiath blatantly states in his Sept. 19/2014 that his was discussed in the Syro Malabar Bishop’s Synod.

But Arch bishop Bharanikulangara’s reply to you clearly states that this matter “was not in the minutes or proceeding of the Synod”. Therefore, Bishop Angadiath’s letter of 2014 to the knanaya community is a direct violation of Rome’s directive as well as to his own conscience. In fact, he has no proper authority to deny membership to non-knanaya spouses and their children.

It is now obvious that bishop Angadiath has no influence over the Knanaya flocks. Basically he is bowing to the demands of certain vested interest groups, may be, driven by mere material gains.

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