Given below is the letter of Archbishop Kuriacose Bharanikulangara of the Syromalabar Diocese of Faridabad, Delhi to Fr. Jacob Thadathil from Kottayam Diocese now working as Vicar of a parish in Delhi and requesting the bishop for exclusive endogamous parishes for the Knanaya community in Delhi.
The substance of the letter is that the issue of creating any new endogamous Knanaya parishes in Delhi or anywhere else -- in Kalyan, in US or Australia -- was discussed in the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) in the presence of the two bishops of Kottayam diocese and it was amicably settled that Knananites are part and parcel of the Syromalabar Church (SMC) for the fulfillment of their spiritual, sacramental needs and so no new parishes will be created for that purpose anywhere. This is the directive of the universal church, the CBCI and the SMC synod..
SMC churches whether in US or in Australia are now instructed not to create any new endogamous Knanaya parishes in their territory. In Kalyan, Bombay, it never happened in the last 25 years. Pastoral care of Knanaya people anywhere, from now on is to be taken care of by SMC in the locality except for very rare occasional cases. With this it is hoped that the controversy started with the Seminar in Chicago on Aug.3rd 2013, between the pro and anti pure blood groups in the Kottayam diocese is brought to a happy and peaceful settlement. From now on there is nothing called “Knanaya Mass and Sacraments.”
This letter is published in Almayasabdam for the benefit of the general public, especially for the members of Kottayam diocese in Kerala and India.
James Kottoor
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