The Ways of Reform of the Syro-Malabar Liturgy and Its Shortcomings against a Background of the Indian context

The article shows the historical and theological circumstances of the strong latinization of the Syro-Malabar liturgy after the arrival of the Portugal missionaries at the beginning of the 16th century. Then it focuses on the ways of the reform of this liturgy in the second half of the 20th century. The texts of the Mass from this time bring many specimens of the Latin influences not only on the eucharistic liturgy but over the whole of ecclesiastical life of the Syro-Malabar community. Though since 1998 the Conference of Syro-Malabar Bishops has had the fullness of the liturgical jurisdiction, there are still many problems in this Church concerning the return to "own roots", postulated in the documents of the Vatican II. The results of some efforts to introduce the Christian liturgy into the Indian context have showed that the latinization of the Syro-Malabar liturgy, which has conceived some model of the liturgical inculturation, was a great mistake.

Keywords: Syro-Malabar Church; Reform of the Syro-Malabar liturgy; Latinization