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D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram
Pope John Paul II's 24th pontificate gift to the faithful in the form of addition of five more events to the rosary meditation being followed by them for over nine centuries has triggered anxiety in the three million Catholic community in Kerala, which is already divided over matters of liturgy.
Leaders of the Liturgical Action Committee, who have been fighting against a move for restoration of oriental patrimony and liturgy by the Chaldean or East Syrian lobby in the Church for more than one decade now, feel the reform would spell trouble in the church.
Though none of the Chaldean bishops have come out openly against the Pope's edict, they are likely to oppose it in the coming days.
Several bishops owing allegiance to the Chaldean lobby had removed the rosary from the prayers they have prescribed for the churches under them. The Kothamangalam bishop had even discouraged the rosary meditation at homes by replacing it with a new set of prayers.
The Chaldean sympathisers mostly follow the Nestorian heresy, which does not recognise Mary. They are not willing to adore mother of Jesus, but only the mother of god. They give importance to the divinity of Jesus rather than his humanity.
A theological expert and former president of the LAC Professor P T Chacko believes that the new addition to the rosary would add to the confusion in the church and increase the exodus from three Catholic denominations to the Pentecost and other orders, which do not accept Mary.
He told rediff.com that the new reform was bound to meet with resistance from not only Chaldean sympathisers but also several other groups in the church in Kerala.
"Meditating the 20 events in Jesus's life would be a tall order for today's busy man. Most Catholic households in Kerala are meditating only five now," he said.
Joe Scaria, member of a traditional Catholic family at Mundakkayam, said that the new addition would only further encourage the role of mediators, whom many have started questioning. "There is no need for mediators in approaching the God".
Many members of the community have expressed difficulty in embracing the change. "I have been mediating the 15 mysteries in the life of Jesus since my childhood. It was giving me lot of solace. I don't know whether the lengthened version would give the same effect," said Alice John, a housewife.
But there are many who have welcomed the change. Susan George, a devout Catholic from Palai, feels that it would enrich the spiritual life. "The rosary was incomplete without the five mysteries added by the Pontiff. The addition has made it now comprehensive and beautiful," she added.
The rosary contained only the Joyful Mystery, Sorrowful Mystery and the Glorious Mystery until now. With the new addition the rosary gets the Public Mystery of Jesus covering Christ's baptism, his self-revelation at the marriage of Cana, announcement of the kingdom of god, transfiguration and institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.
The change made by the 82-year-old Pope in the rosary on the 24th anniversary of his election indicates the importance he attaches to the rosary as a prayer. He had indicated his special liking for rosary soon after he assumed office as the supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church. Besides the new addition, he has also proclaimed the year from October 2002 to October 2003 the 'Year of the Rosary'.
The proclamation for the Christians in India has come at a time when they are celebrating the 1950th anniversary of the arrival of St Thomas in the country.
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