Last year, despite strong opposition from some of the clergy and laity, the Syro-Malabar 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.

In some eparchies, however, including the Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly, the entire liturgy has been offered facing the people in recent decades. Demanding permission to continue that practice, some 100 priests staged a fast in front of Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry’s residence.