Father Pablo Gefaell, a canonist and consultant to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, has told reporters that he sees the likelihood of schism in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.
Pope Francis has set a Christmas deadline for nearly 400 priests in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly—the leading see of the Syro-Malabar Church—to conform to liturgical changes or face excommunication. The priests of that archeparchy, located in Indian’s Kerela state, have adamantly resisted orders from the Syro-Malabar synod of bishops and from the Vatican, and could be bracing for a break.