Should this be permitted? Your opinions please

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They are being required to not discriminate against non-ethnic individuals in Kananaya parishes outside india. They are protesting that.

In short, they’re being disobedient and disrespectful to their bishop.
 
They are protesting, ending endogamy.
But it’s not about ending endogamy - parishioners are as free as they ever were to marry only within their own culture (ie be endogamous) if that is their wish. They are not being commanded to marry outside their culture.

What they are being asked to do is simply admit the non-endogamous to membership of their parish.
 
That is wonderful Thomas. Keep us updated on the decision. 👍 By the way, is the “K” pronounced in Knanaya or, is it silent?
Knanaya (Kah-Na-Nai-Ya)
I don’t see the purpose of the protest. The community requested separate parishes - this was granted by the Eparchial Bishop. The Community requested their own priests - this was granted by the Eparchial Bishop. The Community requested a vicar general - this was granted by the Eparchial Bishop. The Community wants a bishop in North America like their Knanaya Syrian Orthodox counterparts - this is up to Rome, and was denied in Rome. Why protest Mar Jacob Angadiath?
They are being required to not discriminate against non-ethnic individuals in Kananaya parishes outside india. They are protesting that.

In short, they’re being disobedient and disrespectful to their bishop.
But it’s not about ending endogamy - parishioners are as free as they ever were to marry only within their own culture (ie be endogamous) if that is their wish. They are not being commanded to marry outside their culture.

What they are being asked to do is simply admit the non-endogamous to membership of their parish.
We are protesting the 1986 Prot from Rome and the diocese for sitting silently whenever the issue was brought to it.

Are you all forgetting the fact that the St.Thomas Syro Malabar Diocese promised us fully endogamous parishes? The Knananites originally were not going to build our own parishes here in the U.S. but because of this promise we did and this promise was not kept.

Also endogamy is a community tradition, the church nor hierarchy should not meddle in community affairs. Archbishop Mar Mathew Moolakattu has stated many times, “The Major Archbishop, nor I, or even the Pope himself has the right to tell the community who is Knanaya and who is not”.

Like I have stated many times, there is no discrimination against anyone in the Knanaya Community. We are following a 1700 year old tradition which the Catholic Church approved in 1912.

A pledge was taken at the protest rally that went along the lines of, “In the name of Knai Thoma and Bishop Mar Mathai Makil, Knanaya traditions will always be upheld”.

The Pledge-
youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RTScgv5t3mI
 
View attachment 16487

“I would rather close down the mission and call my priests back than to compromise on the fundamental principles of the community – Endogamy"

-H E Mar Kuriakkose Kunnachery
Archbishop Emeritus of Kottayam.
 
Knanaya (Kah-Na-Nai-Ya)

We are protesting the 1986 Prot from Rome and the diocese for sitting silently whenever the issue was brought to it.

Are you all forgetting the fact that the St.Thomas Syro Malabar Diocese promised us fully endogamous parishes? The Knananites originally were not going to build our own parishes here in the U.S. but because of this promise we did and this promise was not kept.

Also endogamy is a community tradition, the church nor hierarchy should not meddle in community affairs. Archbishop Mar Mathew Moolakattu has stated many times, “The Major Archbishop, nor I, or even the Pope himself has the right to tell the community who is Knanaya and who is not”.
The SMCC had no right to do so other than as an economia - endogamy is inherently a violation of the St Paul’s commentary that “Before God there is Neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor freeman.”

And Rome was quite clear - Kottayam has no authority nor faithful outside India - outside india, the local SMCC bishop is the proper ordinary of the Knanaya faithful.
 
The SMCC had no right to do so other than as an economia - endogamy is inherently a violation of the St Paul’s commentary that “Before God there is Neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor freeman.”

And Rome was quite clear - Kottayam has no authority nor faithful outside India - outside india, the local SMCC bishop is the proper ordinary of the Knanaya faithful.
This verse is speaking about salvation. We cannot ordain women. Also, Philimon is a letter from St Paul sending a slave back to his master.
 
Again, no one is forcing the Knanaya individual from continuing whatever custom they want to proliferate. What is wrong with allowing members in the parish who are not Knanaya if its up to the person marrying and their family to continue this custom?

My family is Syrian Christian, we do not have a preference (as a family) on who my children can marry. I prefer they be Syrian Catholic/Orthodox first, other Eastern Catholic or Orthodox next, Roman Catholic after that. If I want to continue that custom and the only parish around me is the local Latin/Roman parish and I’m a member, the parish can’t stop me nor persuade me. What is the special status you are requesting?
 
But it’s not about ending endogamy - parishioners are as free as they ever were to marry only within their own culture (ie be endogamous) if that is their wish. They are not being commanded to marry outside their culture.

What they are being asked to do is simply admit the non-endogamous to membership of their parish.
Here’s the odd thing about it - no one really wants to be a member of the Knanaya parishes unless they are children of Knanaya who married non-Knanaya people, or are Knanaya members who adopted non-Knanaya children.

The others have no interest in becoming members.

So who is the protest really directed toward? Not the Eparchial Bishop, but within the Knanaya community itself (which is not an ethnic community, but one based on a common heritage/story/culture and particular custom [endogamy]).

But why can’t this social function be practiced within any parish?
 
Here’s the odd thing about it - no one really wants to be a member of the Knanaya parishes unless they are children of Knanaya who married non-Knanaya people, or are Knanaya members who adopted non-Knanaya children.
The others have no interest in becoming members.
So who is the protest really directed toward? Not the Eparchial Bishop, but within the Knanaya community itself (which is not an ethnic community, but one based on a common heritage/story/culture and particular custom [endogamy]).
But why can’t this social function be practiced within any parish?
Nobody is going to their parishes and not willing too.Also nobody wants to marry from their parish as history states.The protest is just for self promotion.To hide the facts that they are the sons / daughters born to knai thomman with an indian concubine. Their wikipedia site also states the truth.
 
Nobody is going to their parishes and not willing too.Also nobody wants to marry from their parish as history states.The protest is just for self promotion.To hide the facts that they are the sons / daughters born to knai thomman with an indian concubine. Their wikipedia site also states the truth.
Careful of what you say and how you say it here. I’m sure there are more sensitive ways to express your view. 🙂
 
Here’s the odd thing about it - no one really wants to be a member of the Knanaya parishes unless they are children of Knanaya who married non-Knanaya people, or are Knanaya members who adopted non-Knanaya children.

The others have no interest in becoming members.

So who is the protest really directed toward? Not the Eparchial Bishop, but within the Knanaya community itself (which is not an ethnic community, but one based on a common heritage/story/culture and particular custom [endogamy]).

But why can’t this social function be practiced within any parish?
My Opinions

The focal point of the protest was the Proclamation from Rome in 1986. For those of you who are unaware of what that is, I will explain. In the year 1986 a few Knanaya families (15-20) who married Non-Knananites wanted membership back to their respective Knanaya Parishes. They petitioned Rome saying that there is no Kottayam Diocese in the United States and that endogamous parishes should not be allowed. The Congregation for Oriental Churches signed the decree and so starts the beginning of Knanaya complications in the U.S.

In my opinion (and please don’t think I’m being harsh) these Knanaya families should have just accepted the fact that they are no longer Knanaya. They knew the communities tradition ever since birth and should have respected it. These 15-20 families were the cause of the problems between the St.Thomas Syro Malabar Diocese and the Knanaya Community for the past 26 years.

In that point you are correct SyroMalankara just like (mainly) only Syro Malabar Catholics want membership into a Syro Malabar Parish, only Knanaya Catholics want membership into Knanaya Parishes. On the contrary, I think what Rome understood was that many people including Non-Knananites wanted membership in Knanaya Parishes.

The second point of the protest is against the St.Thomas Syro Malabar Diocese for sitting silent on this matter whenever it was brought to them. Every time the issue of the 1986 Proclamation was brought to Mar Jacob Angadiath, he never gave a reply to the community. This caused the Non-Cooperation between the Knanaya Parishes and the St.Thomas Syro Malabar Diocese.

The third point is once again against St.Thomas Syro Malabar Diocese for breaking their promise of fully endogamous parishes to Knananites. This one though isn’t really much the diocese fault. With the proclamation of 1986 the diocese was forced to break this promise but I think Knananites wanted the diocese to fight against the proclamation instead of doing nothing for the community. The breaking of the promise caused The Knanaya Community too loose millions financially because they bought/built parishes in which they thought were going to be respective to Knanaya traditions.
 
Update

This is a message from our Knanaya Vicar General, Msgr. Abraham Mutholam after his meeting in India with our Knanaya Bishops,Community Representatives and Major Archbishop Mar George Alencherry.

From Father Abraham Mutholam.
Vicar General for the North American Knanaya Catholics

My Dear Rev. Fathers,
I have just reached Chaithanya after meeting with Major Archbishop Mar George Alencherry. Our Archbishop Mar Mathew Moolakkattu, Auxiliary Bishop Mar Joseph Pandarasseril, and KCCNA President Dr. Shiens Akasala and I participated. Major Archbishop requested Sheins to present his points first as a lay person. Shiens did a short and good presentation. I supported and added some more points to his arguments. Mar Moolakkatt clarified that Knanaya Missions and Parishes are only for Knanaya Catholics and he would not make any compromise on that. Mar Pandarasseril was also very supportive. Major Archbishop did a compassionate listening and asked Shiens to provide his arguments in writing to Rome with a copy to the Major Archbishop. He will then do his best to convince Rome to reconsider the rescript of 1986. So the meeting was a great success. However, we need to pray more for a positive reply from Rome.
 
Thomas,

You can do what you wish, but Syro-Malankara parishes are not only for Syro-Malankara, they are for everyone who wishes to worship in Spirit and in Truth. I think the same holds true for Syro-Malabar parishes, Maronite parishes, Latin parishes, and Ukrainian parishes, and every other Catholic parish. We have Tamil Syro-Malankara, who are welcome in any of our parishes, we hope to have Spanish missions in the near future in the United States/Mexico/Latin America. I hope you take some time to reflect on this.
 
Thomas,

You can do what you wish, but Syro-Malankara parishes are not only for Syro-Malankara, they are for everyone who wishes to worship in Spirit and in Truth. I think the same holds true for Syro-Malabar parishes, Maronite parishes, Latin parishes, and Ukrainian parishes, and every other Catholic parish. We have Tamil Syro-Malankara, who are welcome in any of our parishes, we hope to have Spanish missions in the near future in the United States/Mexico/Latin America. I hope you take some time to reflect on this.
I can understand your point SyroMalankara but for this reason above is why we must remember the Knanaya Community is just that, a community. They are in fact not a Sui Juris/Eastern Catholic Church. The greater Syro Malabar Church has missions in Tamil/Hindi/English/etc. But the Knanaya are only a minority community of the Syro Malabar Church in which whom they are permitted to have their own personal parishes.
 
Thomas,

Can you tell me the basis on which you explain excluding non-Knanaya without falling into the heresy of Phyletism?
 
Can you tell me the basis on which you explain excluding non-Knanaya without falling into the heresy of Phyletism?
As I said earlier in this thread, I don’t have a horse in this race, but I find the topic somewhat interesting, at least on a procedural level. So here’s my :twocents: plain (a squirt of seltzer, if you will). 😉

Maybe it’s just me, (and of course I’m neither Knanaya nor Malayali so it could well be that I’m missing something), but I still fail to see the basic problem with designated Knanaya parishes, whether in India or elsewhere, including in the US.

The Knanaya have their own particular customs and while it may be true that non-Knanaya are denied formal membership in a Knanaya parish (or, in India, in the Archeparchy of Kottayam for that matter), they do not seem to be excluded from physical attendance in Knanaya churches, nor does it seem they are denied the Sacraments (except, I imagine, Matrimony, Holy Orders being another matter entirely). (NB: I will not engage in a discussion of the merits or demerits of endogamy. That’s really of little interest to me, nor is it any of my business. All I can and will say on the matter is that if the Church were entirely opposed to the practice, it would seem that the Archeparchy of Kottayam would not have been established in the manner which it was.)

Referring to my [post=10379333]previous[/post] comment in this thread, the fact that, wherever there is a Knanaya parish or mission there is also a “regular” Syro-Malabar parish or mission (it may not be “next door” but still in the same general area), leads me to think that this jurisdictional overlap was purposefully done to address the sensibilities of the Knanaya faithful. Again, maybe I’m missing something, but that “overlap” seems to say a lot.

FWIW, [post=10379868]Thomas48’s follow-up [/post] didn’t gainsay my appraisal, which leads me to think that I may not be completely off base.
 
Malphono,

I suppose that would be okay since it mimics the other Churches practices, but we have an example posted by daffyjoe and supported by Thomas of an adopted child of Knanaya parents excluded from the parish rolls. That is unacceptable.

Also - it would be unacceptable to exclude anyone from practical regular membership in a parish if the Knanaya parish is the only one in the area.

It should be noted that there are also Knanaya Syro-Malankara faithful, some do not attend the Syro-Malankara Churches out of loyalty to Knanaya over their Liturgical/Ritual Church. Where there are Knanaya Malankara, is the mentality to erect a proper parish in the Syro-Malankara Tradition, or to stick with the larger Knanaya Syro-Malabar and be separate from the main Malabar parish?
 
Malphono,

I suppose that would be okay since it mimics the other Churches practices, but we have an example posted by daffyjoe and supported by Thomas of an adopted child of Knanaya parents excluded from the parish rolls. That is unacceptable.
Agreed. 🙂 It’s not the child’s fault. If Knanaya parents adopted a child from outside the community, it seems to me that the child must be considered part of the parent’s community.
Also - it would be unacceptable to exclude anyone from practical regular membership in a parish if the Knanaya parish is the only one in the area.
If that were the case, yes, but it seems that there is invariably an overlap, so it appears to be a moot point.
It should be noted that there are also Knanaya Syro-Malankara faithful, some do not attend the Syro-Malankara Churches out of loyalty to Knanaya over their Liturgical/Ritual Church. Where there are Knanaya Malankara, is the mentality to erect a proper parish in the Syro-Malankara Tradition, or to stick with the larger Knanaya Syro-Malabar and be separate from the main Malabar parish?
Now that question is not for me. At least I hope you didn’t mean it for me. :eek: 😉
 
Thomas,

Can you tell me the basis on which you explain excluding non-Knanaya without falling into the heresy of Phyletism?
Phyletism is in a sense a “confusion between church and nation”. Church is the body of Christ which is an ecclesiastic figure created by the Mishiha himself. The Knanaya **Community ** is a man made figure, lets not mix divinity and community. You must always remember this is a community practice not a church practice so it is not in any form heretical. If the practice of endogamy were heretical the Catholic Church surely would not have raised Kottayam Diocese in 1911.
As I said earlier in this thread, I don’t have a horse in this race, but I find the topic somewhat interesting, at least on a procedural level. So here’s my :twocents: plain (a squirt of seltzer, if you will). 😉

Maybe it’s just me, (and of course I’m neither Knanaya nor Malayali so it could well be that I’m missing something), but I still fail to see the basic problem with designated Knanaya parishes, whether in India or elsewhere, including in the US.

The Knanaya have their own particular customs and while it may be true that non-Knanaya are denied formal membership in a Knanaya parish (or, in India, in the Archeparchy of Kottayam for that matter), they do not seem to be excluded from physical attendance in Knanaya churches, nor does it seem they are denied the Sacraments (except, I imagine, Matrimony, Holy Orders being another matter entirely). (NB: I will not engage in a discussion of the merits or demerits of endogamy. That’s really of little interest to me, nor is it any of my business. All I can and will say on the matter is that if the Church were entirely opposed to the practice, it would seem that the Archeparchy of Kottayam would not have been established in the manner which it was.)

Referring to my [post=10379333]previous[/post] comment in this thread, the fact that, wherever there is a Knanaya parish or mission there is also a “regular” Syro-Malabar parish or mission (it may not be “next door” but still in the same general area), leads me to think that this jurisdictional overlap was purposefully done to address the sensibilities of the Knanaya faithful. Again, maybe I’m missing something, but that “overlap” seems to say a lot.

FWIW, [post=10379868]Thomas48’s follow-up [/post] didn’t gainsay my appraisal, which leads me to think that I may not be completely off base.
In full understanding, there is no point in denying Knanaya Catholics the right to practice endogamy. Like I have said and you have posted, their is a Syro Malabar parish only minutes a way in which you will receive the exact same sacraments. And even so if a certain patron had a dire need to receive the Holy Sacraments in a Knanaya parish than he may do so.
Malphono,

I suppose that would be okay since it mimics the other Churches practices, but we have an example posted by daffyjoe and supported by Thomas of an adopted child of Knanaya parents excluded from the parish rolls. That is unacceptable.

Also - it would be unacceptable to exclude anyone from practical regular membership in a parish if the Knanaya parish is the only one in the area.
That statement is false, the family you speak of are parishioners of my church.The father, mother, and adopted daughter have complete membership in our parish. If earlier I had posted otherwise, I was unaware of their current situation.
 
Malphono,
It should be noted that there are also Knanaya Syro-Malankara faithful, some do not attend the Syro-Malankara Churches out of loyalty to Knanaya over their Liturgical/Ritual Church. Where there are Knanaya Malankara, is the mentality to erect a proper parish in the Syro-Malankara Tradition, or to stick with the larger Knanaya Syro-Malabar and be separate from the main Malabar parish?
Syro Malankara Knanayas (from what I know) have chosen to stay within the larger Syro Malabar Knanaya group in the U.S. There are many Syro Malankara Knanayas that are members of my church St.Mary’s Knanaya (Syro Malabar) Church, Houston. I’m not sure if they have the ability to erect their own Syro Malankara Knanaya parishes in the U.S because even in India they are under (Syro Malabar) Knanaya Kottayam Archdiocese with their own Vicar General. Since there is no Knanaya Diocese here I do not think they can attain their own parishes, unless they are put under the (Syro Malabar) Knanaya Catholic Region under Vicar General Fr. Abraham Mutholam.
 
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