The rules for interfaith marriages state that the church will not combine wedding ceremonies with practices from other communities and faiths.
The Syro Malabar church has issued a set of rules to ensure that interfaith marriages in the Christian community are held in adherence to strict canon laws. A set of protocols have asked Bishops to solemnise the marriage of people between two faiths (termed disparity of cult marriages in the church) in the proper Catholic way. The rules were issued after a recent interfaith wedding in Ernakulam kicked up a controversy within the community. The wedding ceremony of a Christian woman and a Muslim man held at Kadavanthra St Joseph Church on November 9 triggered a row, as it was attended by a former Bishop of Satna in Madhya Pradesh. The Catholic Bishop, identified as Mathew Vaniakizhakkel of Satna, was photographed with the interfaith couple at the wedding. Traditionally, Bishops do not attend mixed marriage ceremonies. The emeritus Bishop, aged 74, later expressed regret for attending the marriage, and in a letter, wrote that he had only done so “because of his close association to the bride's family.” He also regretted “creating confusion among the faithful with his presence at the mixed marriage.” The Bishop's step of expressing regret has brought “great relief” to the faithful in the archdiocese, reports stated. Following the controversy, Cardinal Mar Alencherry, the Major Archbishop of the Syro Malabar church ordered a probe into the incident, and the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council will look into the same. Bishops will also be directed to issue strict guidelines to the priests on conducting 'disparity of cult' marriages in the church. Rules for interfaith marriage The rules for interfaith marriages state that the church will not combine wedding ceremonies with practices from other communities and faiths. The ceremony will be held in strict adherence to canon laws if the non-Christian partner expresses willingness to be part of the Christian ceremonies. However, certain traditions such as Thali (tying the sacred thread), ring exchange, garlanding, Mantra Kodi (gifting a saree) and lamp lighting will be retained, as "they are familiar practices to those from other faiths also.” The Catholic priest will solemnise the ceremony, the rules state. The church considers only a marriage between two Catholics as sacrament. A marriage with a non-Christian is to be “considered as an event which happens in unusual circumstances.” Since interfaith marriages are not sacrament, there will be no holy communion but only a wedding service. The church also said that, if the non-Christian, who has not gone through baptism and who wants to marry a Christian, then there are specific rules that the couple has to adhere to. The rules state that the couple's children will have to be baptised and undergo a Christian education. Further, the Catholic partner will have to promise that he will not “sway from his faith despite being married to a non-Christian partner.” Following the row, a group of progressive voices within the Catholic church welcomed the 74-year-old's Bishop move to attend the mixed marriage, stating that mixed marriages were universally accepted in the Catholic church. This incident comes in the backdrop of governments promising legislation on the concept of 'Love Jihad'; a term coined by Hindu Sangh parivar outfits which claim that Muslim men were attempting to convert unsuspecting Hindu women, by marrying them. The church too climbed on the Love Jihad bandwagon last year, with the Synod of the Syro Malabar Church, a body of Catholic Bishops, stating that 'Love Jihad is a reality', though there is no such term in Indian law. The Synod alleged that women from the Christian community in Kerala were being lured by the Islamic State.
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