The church, an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See, is based in Kakkanad, India.

In August, despite strong opposition from some of the clergy and laity, the church’s leading bishops agreed to impose a uniform method of celebrating the liturgy in all of the church’s eparchies (dioceses). The uniform method envisions the celebrant turning towards the faithful in the initial rites but then turning towards the altar during the Eucharistic sacrifice.

The implementation of the uniform method, along with a Vatican dispensation, led to turmoil. In this interview, Bishop Joseph Srampickal, the Syro-Malabar bishop of Great Britain, discusses the controversy’s history.