LIES, LIES, and GREEN LIES - Chronology of Events after 20th December 2012

ഡിസംബര്‍ ഇരുപതിനുശേഷം അമേരിക്കന്‍ ക്നാനായ സമൂഹത്തില്‍ ഉണ്ടായ നാടകീയമായ സംഭവവികാസങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ച് ഞങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് ലഭിച്ച ചില  വിവരം ചുവടെ ഇംഗ്ലീഷില്‍ കൊടുക്കുന്നു.

Colour Code:

In Black Color:                      Date/Period

In Blue Color:                       Knanaya Syro Region Action by VG

In Red Color:                        Knanaya Community actions (by KCCNA)

(In this post Bishop A means Mar Jacob Angadiath, Bishop of Chicago Syro-Malabar Diocese.)

Administrator.

In light of the most recent letter from our Beloved VG claiming that Knanaya Region was behind the progress community saw during the last 8 weeks,  it is good to compare what Knanaya Region has done compared to Knanaya Community has done with their brave KCCNA leadership.  Let us look at the Chronology of events/actions based on communications seen from KCCNA leadership, missionspothuyogams as well as information gathered through blogs.  Couple of datescan be wrong here.

Dec 20, 2012

VG sends the pastoral directive of Bishop A to all Knanaya parishes to be read out during mass on Dec 23

Dec 23, 2012

Some priests including VG read the English letter during mass and claim it is Moolakatt formula.  Few priests chose not to read, but said a summary claiming Moolakat formula was accepted by Bishop A.  Across the board VG and Priests claimed Victory.

Dec 24, 2012:

The pastoral letter became public through Blogs.  There is widespread concern in the community regarding the contents.  Community members started to question the intent.

Dec 24/25, 2012:

VG and some Priests reiterated during Christmas Masses that the letter is nothing but Moolakatt Formula.  VG also claimed it is because of KCCNA Bishop A wrote the letter in St. Mary’s in Chicago

Dec 26, 2012:

Blogs Flash that Fr. Muthoalth has left Kottayam diocese and joined Syro diocese in Chicago

Dec 27, 2012:

KCCNA EC sends a letter to community members informing their unanimous decision to reject the directive of Bishop A and ask community members all over North America denounce the directive

Dec 29, 2012:

VG said he did not yet incardinate into Syro Diocese and claimed he asked Bishops to stop the process.  He also asked people to not to call him on this subject.  Actually it was a LIE he was incardinated weeks before.

Dec 30, 2013:

VG wrote in Knanaya Media that the new directive is Moolakatt formula and this is the BEST deal for the community.  VG also answered questions from Bijo Karakadan as if the directive from Mar A is the salvation of Knanaya Community in North America

Dec 30/31, 2012:

Knanaya association across North American Started to reject he directive of Mar Aand started to share their resolutions to Community.

Jan 4, 2013:

KCCNA served a legal notice on behalf of North American Knanaya Community to Syro-Malabar diocese accusing the diocese of misleading the community through the decrees that created the parishes/missions as well as through letters from the VG who was appointed to lead Knanaya Region. The legal notice sought specific clarifications as to who are and who are not members of Knanaya Parish/missions – response requested by Jan 20, 2013

Jan 6/13/20, 2013; Feb 3/10, 2013

Knanaya Parish/mission pothuyogams across North America started to reject the order from Mar A.  In most cases the Vicars refused to join the deciions of the parish Assembly instead Vicars/mission directors dissented the resolutions of Pothuyogams.

Jan 14, 2013:

VG deletesall his previous parish bulletins from Knanaya region website most likely fearing of exposure in public of his effort to mislead the community

Jan 15, 2013

KCCNA formalize a committee that is formed specifically to handle this issue.

Jan 20, 2013:

VG sends a resolution to Knanaya parishes and missions asking priests to read out during mass and pass without discussion. Passing this resolution would have undermined the entire Knanaya Community by making them agree that they knew parishes were non-endogamous when they created them. VG literally tried to CHEAT the entire community in this effort.

Community members in Atlanta and Chicago refused to adopt this resolution from VG and as a result VG’s  plan to CHEAT community DID NOT work out.Thus the resolution to cheat community members died.

Jan 20, 2013:

KCCNA president informed the community about the legal notice and the rationale.  KCCNA president also made it clear that in the absence of transparency on the membership, North American Knanaya Community will take DECLARATORY ACTIONS.

Jan 24-27, 2013:

KCCNA formally hire a law firm in Chicago.  In addition, KCCNA had preliminary discussion on a peaceful demonstration in front of the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago

Jan 29, 2013:

KCCNA president was invited to meet with the legal advisor of the Arch Diocese of Kottayam.

Feb 2/3, 2013:

KCCNA president met with the legal advisor of the Arch Diocese of Kottayam.  Based on rather reliable  sources the legal advisor may have handed over some key documents to support legal proceedings in the US. In addition, KCCNA president also met with Bishop Pandarasseril and updated the Bishop on the steps the community is planning to take in the US.

Feb 5, 2013:

It is rumoured that probably in a teleconference with priests of the Knanaya Region, the VG suggests that “lets all claim we all stand for Endogamous parishes.” His fellow priests refused to agree by saying “we should stand with our people and we are not supportive of cheating people again”

Feb 5-6, 2013:

KCCNA EC formalizes the decision to conduct a demonstration in front of the Bishop’s house of Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago.

Feb 9, 2013:

KCCNA EC and the special committee formed to address the current issues informed member association about the demonstration and there is great enthusiasm among the member associations on this.

Feb 10, 2013:

KCCNA president set up an appointment to meet with Bishop Angadiath for the following day with the help of Fr. Antony Thundathil. 

Feb 11, 2013:

KCCNA president and RVP of Chicago meet the lawyers and confirm that Knanaya Community has valid arguments on 2 counts.  1 – Fraud by the diocese to mislead the community; 2 –Right to practice our customs and traditions even within church.

Feb 11, 2013:

KCCNA president and RVP of Chicago met with Bishop A and inform him of pending legal steps and the planned demonstration. Bishop requested to avoid both.  However KCCNA asked for concrete action including submitting the petition that KCCNA drafted with the help of Ecclesiastial Enhancement Committee of KCCNA.Though initially reluctant, Bishop Agreed to review and support the petition.  KCCNA demanded that Bishop needs to personally go to Rome to submit the petition if he is a Champion of Knanaya Cause.   Bishop also clarified that in his view Family is a single unit and cannot be separated in church. Bishop A also made it clear that Knanaya VG knew the Bishop’s position on membership all along and if VG claims innocence, it is not true.

Feb 12, 2013:

Chicago RVP of KCCNA hand delivered the petition drafted by KCCNA for the review of Bishop Angadiath.

Feb 13, 2013:

KCCNA president connected with Arch Bishop Moolakatt and informed the Bishop about the developments and the steps taken by Knanaya Community including legal strategy.

Feb 14, 2013:

Both the Bishops from Kottayam and Knanaya region priests including VG have a teleconference.  Following three things transpired:

1.              Priests informed that the collections in churches have gone down drastically;

2.              Somehow we need to stop demonstration;

3.              We need to stop litigation because that will make the Syro Dioese Bankrupt.

Several ideas flowed which included:

1.              VG requested our Bishops to write another letter saying that Bishop A’s letter is in fact Moolakatt formula– Bishops and priests did not agree to the idea

2.              Meeting with Major Arch Bishop for a solution– VG said there is  no need to go there initially. However other priests and bishops thought that is the best path.

3.              Our Bishops asked VG to come to meet with the Major Arch Bishop. VG refused initially, however with the pressure from our Bishops and priests he finally agreed. 

4.              All the priests requested our Bishops to Include KCCNA representation in the delegation so that Knanaya Community is properly represented.  VG reluctantly agreed to that as well but said “I will not call KCCNA president, one of you can.”

Feb 14, 2013:

KCCNA leadership was asked bythe spiritual director of their availability to meet with Major Arch Bishop on Feb 26th. KCCNA agreed to be present at the meeting.  Couple of priests also requested to avoid demonstration, however KCCNA said without concrete steps, we will not cancel demonstration or legal action.

Feb 15, 2013:

KCCNA once again met with lawyers in Chicago and asked them to proceed with the 1st phase of legal action.

Feb 16, 2013:

KCCNA president informed the community about the legal steps as well as intense negotiation that were going on behind the scenes with the church Hierarchy in Chicago, Kottayam and Ernakulam.   KCCNA president also formally informed the community about the demonstration that will takes place on March 3rd in Chicago

Feb 17, 2013:

VG sends another letter claiming, he was doing everything and as a result there is a meeting between him, KCCNA president and Major Arch Bishop.

Concluding Appeal to the Members of North American Knanaya Community:

From the above you can figure out what happened.  Also you will know what a LIAR the VG is.  You decide whether we need him as the head of Knanaya Region.

Let us all demand that the VG must be removed and replaced along with asking for our right to protect our traditions, during our demonstration on March 3rd.  The entire COMMUNITY in North America needs to turn up on March 3rd to tell Bishop Angadiath we DO NOT need this TRAITOR anymore and WILL NOT accept him as the head of our region. 

Also community members all over North America must insist that no priests should read any letter from this VG in the churches any more.  ENOUGH is ENOUGH. 

Without the DEMONSTRATION, FINANCIAL EMBARGO and LEGAL STEPS we would not have made this much progress in the last 8 weeks.  This VG and his Regions had 10 long years and did NOTHING to protect the traditions of this community. All he could manage was the order of Dec 20 which said, all our churches are NON-ENDOGAMOUS, other than trying to improve his OWN personal statue with our hard earned money.

We must celebrate that, the decision of the synod to appoint an Aux Bishop for Knanaya in the US, was turned down by the Oriental Congregation.  Imagine if this CRONIE became the bishop, HE WOULD have LOOTED all our homes. 

We shall unite behind KCCNA and hope that KCCNA president will be firm and strong at the meeting with the Cardinal.  KCCNA president must ask Cardinal to replace VG and provide his eminence with proof of fraud.

KCCNA was smart enough to not only work with lawyers; they were also willing to work with Hierarchy so that they make sure community explore all options before resorting to legal recourse. 

We shall only accept endogamous parishes because that is what we were told and will not accept the rescript. No formulas will be accepted, lets pray that there won’t be an Alancherry formula after the meeting next week.

We need to be very careful about what communication comes out after the meeting.  VG may set his men with a message ready to go even before completing the meeting next week regardless of the outcome.

Posted by ക്നാനായ വിശേഷങ്ങള്‍