I would like to deal with two canonical and practical issues of our Church in relation to the New Major Archbishop. (1) The Major Archbishop of SMC and the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly. (2) The Residence of the Major Archbishop.
When the newly elected Major Archbishop obtains confirmation from the Roman Pontiff, he becomes not only the Father and Head of the Syro-Malabar Church but also the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
The Common Law has the following indications regarding this. The Major Archbishop presides over his church as its Father and Head (CCEO C.55). A major Archbishop is the Metropolitan of a see who presides over an entire Eastern Church sui iuris (CCEO C.151). A Major Archiepiscopal Church must have a permanent see for the residence of the Major Archbishop inside its own territory, if possible in a principal city, from which the major Archbishop takes his title (CCEO C.57 §3).
The Particular Law of the SMC confirms them in the following words: “The Major Archbishop of the SMMAC is the Metropolitan of the See of Ernakulam‑Angamaly and he presides over the entire sui iuris SMMAC [of Ernakulam‑Angamaly] as Father and Head (SMC Statutes Article 6).
Now a days, connected to the demise a Major Archbishop and the election of a new Major Archbishop, these points are very much discussed in various forums. The arguments I have heard are the following:
1) The newly getting elected Major Archbishop is also the Metropolitan of the Ernakulam-Angamaly. Therefore, the election should be done in such a way that the new Major Archbishop is also to be an acceptable Metropolitan to the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
2) In the last two appointments of the Major Archbishops, the Holy See had considered the point of acceptability of the Major Archbishop to the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
3) The Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, because of various historical reasons, stands in a very peculiar situation.
4) Is it really necessary that the Major Archbishop effectively also function as the head of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly or is there any other solution?
5) Is it legally permitted to say the Major Archbishop of the Major Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly or the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church of Ernakulam-Angamaly? Is it not enough to say the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church and the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly?
6) Should the Major Archbishop reside in the Major Archbishop’s House of the Ernakulam-Angamaly or at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia?
One cannot shut one’s eyes to some of these facts. At the same time one should be aware of the eventual difficulties in accepting these arguments as they are. My study in relation to these:
1) If we look at the scenario of the Western and Eastern Sui Iuris Churches, there are sufficient models that have solved and settled already such problems.
2) In relation to the Papal elections, by the very fact of the newly elected Pope accepts the election, he becomes the Archbishop of Rome.
3) Though the Pope is also the Archbishop of Rome he does not reside at the Roman Diocesan Vicariate but in Vatican.
4) At the same time, Vatican stands out in the city of Rome with extra territorial jurisdiction apart from the Jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Rome.
5) The Pope appoints a Vicar General, with a kind of independent charge over the Archdiocese of Rome, who acts in Pope’s name in the Archdiocese of Rome.
6) The Roman diocesan Vicar General is a Cardinal, and before he is made a Cardinal, he is a Titular Archbishop.
7) There are internal directives promulgated with distinctions of the competences between the Pope and his Vicar General as far as the Archdiocese of Rome is concerned.
8) In the Annuario Pontificio, in the Catholic Patriarchal and Major Archiepiscopal Churches, there are Patriarchal or Major Archiepiscopal Vicars who take care of the administration of the Archdioceses.
9) There are many titular Archbishops who need not be Metropolitan Archbishops. Eg: The bishop of the diocese of Vasai is an Archbishop in title. All the Nuncios and many Vatican officials are titular Archbishops.
10) At the same time, regarding the title of our Church, a deeper historical and juridical study is needed to propose solutions.
When we have such models existing in the Universal Church, at this juncture, it is important that our Church considers these points seriously and takes conducive decisions. As the election for a new Major Archbishop is at door steps, the SMC has to sort them out either before or at least during the election process and find proper solutions for the same. I would like to propose the following actions:
1) The new Major Archbishop will be mainly the Father and Head of the Syro-Malabar Church. Above all, the consideration of the Candidate should be based on the acceptability of the Church.
2) Our Church has many problems to settle and a lot of areas to develop and hence the new Major Archbishop has to dedicate his full time for the growth of the Church in general.
3) Majority of his time, the new Major Archbishop is to reside in the Major Archiepiscopal Curia.
4) The new Major Archbishop is to appoint a Vicar General who will be mainly responsible for the running of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
5) Naturally this Vicar General is to be an acceptable person to the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly and hence before such appointment it is good to know the mind of the Archdiocese regarding the same.
6) Considering the tradition and the prestige, the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly has in the Society and the Church, such Vicar General has to have a title of the Archbishop.
7) An internal directive is to be promulgated by the Major Archbishop to distinguish the competences between the Major Archbishop and the Vicar General as far the diocesan administration is concerned.
8) If necessary, the Major Archiepiscopal Curia and the institutions related to it, need to be declared to be having extra territorial jurisdiction.
9) If needed the particular law is to be made to decide to deal with the situation of the death, burial situations of the Major Archbishop in the light of the laws of the UNIVERSI DOMINICI GREGIS.
10) The Synod has to make the understanding on this point before the election or at least during the waiting period for the confirmation from the Roman Pontiff. Regarding these issues a general understanding is to be made before the announcement of the new Major Archbishop.
Fr. Francis Eluvathingal
Chancellor, Kalyan Diocese
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