First lay synod in India's Eastern Catholic Church seeks greater representation

KALOOR, India (OSV News) -- A lay group in an Eastern Catholic archdiocese has demanded greater representation of laypeople in the India-based church's decision-making bodies after concluding its first-ever "Almaya Synod," or lay synod.

Around 300 invited delegates from the Syro-Malabar Church's dioceses in southern Kerala state participated in the Aug. 15-16 synod at the Renewal Center in Kaloor.

Almaya Munnettam (meaning "lay forward"), a group of lay Catholics in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, which organized the event, stated that the extraordinary synod was "unprecedented in the history of the Catholic Church" as it preceded the Synod of Bishops, the top decision-making body of the church.

"It imbibed the spirit of the Vatican document on 'Synod on Synodality 2024' which calls for encouraging voices of the laity, including women and marginalized groups, among others, to be heard in matters within the Church," the archdiocesan group said.

In a statement on Aug. 16, Almaya Munnettam said the special synod resolved to seek 50% representation for laity, with women forming up to 40% of that share, in every decision-making body of the church.

"Their representation should be through election, and there shall be no nominee from a bishop," the statement said, adding this would make the church's functioning "more transparent and vibrant."

The synod of laity also resolved to pursue the formation of a "Church Synod" in the Syro-Malabar Church, involving laity, priests, religious and other stakeholders.

Currently, "in the Syro-Malabar Church, there is only a Synod of Bishops, which takes all the decisions for the laity, priests and religious, which is not good for a synodal church," the statement noted.

The lay group also sought the formation of diocesan synods, which would involve all stakeholders in a diocese, to decentralize the church's functioning at the local level.

It also called for structural changes in the church, including the introduction of manuals and other guiding rules and regulations to accommodate everyone as part of the same church.

The laity synod has also appointed a 16-member committee of laypeople to conduct a thorough study on the structural changes necessary to improve the church's functioning.

"The findings of the committee will be discussed in detail in the next laity synod," said Riju Kanjookaran, spokesperson for Almaya Munnettam.

Kanjookaran told UCA News on Aug. 18 that this was the first such synod of laypeople, and the resolutions passed will be handed over to the bishops.

Some 52 bishops from the Syro-Malabar Church are congregating at Mount St. Thomas, its headquarters, for the 33rd Synod of Bishops on Aug. 18-29.

Kanjookaran said there was confusion among some people that the laity synod was a rebel synod opposing the bishops' synod, but "such a perception is wrong."

"The laity synod was held based on the Vatican document on Synod on Synodality 2024 to fulfill the vision of late Pope Francis," he clarified.

The Syro-Malabar Church, with nearly 5 million Catholics, is the second-largest among the 23 Eastern Catholic churches in full communion with the Vatican.

The Synod of Bishops has so far not responded to the first-ever synod of laypeople in the church.