I personally hope the synod deals with these issues, but making these topics the principal focus of the synod would be a big mistake.

They certainly are not central to Pope Francis's mind, nor are they central to the "Instrumentum laboris," or working paper, that will guide the initial meetings of the synod.

For the "Instrumentum laboris" and Pope Francis, the priority issues are communion, participation and mission.

If the synod does not foster greater communion, participation and mission, then it will be a failure.

Pope Francis' hope is that the fruit of the next assembly will be that the Spirit inspires the church to walk together as the people of God in fidelity to the mission the Lord has entrusted to it.

Communion is central to who we are as church.

According to the "Instrumentum laboris," citing the Second Vatican Council, the church is a sign and instrument of union with God and the unity of all humanity. People should see this union with God and this human unity in the life of the church.

The church should be a preeminent way for people to attain this union. Fostering that communion is at the heart of what it means to be a synodal church.

If we forget that while we squabble over who can or cannot be a minister, then we miss the point.

Likewise, arguing over who can be a priest should not make us forget that we are all responsible for the church's mission in service of the gospel.

If we all accepted our responsibility for the church's mission, the clergy would be much less important to the church's life.

Our need for communion and our co-responsibility for the mission lead to questions about participation, governance and authority — where authority is service and decisions are made through discernment.

Participation and discernment are not simply for the synod; they are the lifeblood of every local church.

This is not to say the synod will ignore real problems in the world.

The "Intrumentum laboris" reports the particular situations experienced by the church in different parts of the world.

These include too many wars, the threat of climate change, as well as "exploitation, inequality and a throwaway culture, and the desire to resist the homogenizing pressure of cultural colonialism that crushes minorities." Added to this is "persecution to the point of martyrdom," as well as self-inflicted wounds of sexual abuse and the abuse of power, conscience and money in the church.

But these problems will not be solved by resolutions or documents, according to Francis, but through greater communion, co-responsibility in mission and increased participation in the life of the church.

In other words, even if I got what I wanted out of the synod — married priests and women priests — but the church became less a sign and instrument of union with God and the unity of all humanity, then the synod would not have achieved its goals.

If I got what I wanted, and the church remained clerical with a passive laity, then the synod would have been a failure.

If we continued as usual with just different people in charge, then we missed the revolution Pope Francis is calling for.

Progressives are thinking too small.

Through the synod, Francis is calling for a spiritual shake-up much greater than anyone can imagine.

He is not looking for a few thousand new clergy to keep the church going.

He wants a mass movement that makes the gospel alive in our time. On the other hand, conservative Catholics fear this movement will get out of control.

They want the Spirit to be under the thumb of hierarchy.

According to the "Instrumentum laboris," this revolution has already begun in the preparations for the synod:

"The first phase renewed our awareness that our identity and vocation is to become an increasingly synodal Church: walking together, that is, becoming synodal, is the way to truly become disciples and friends of that Master and Lord who said of himself: ‘I am the way' (Jn 14:6)."

The spiritual conversations that have occurred in parishes and dioceses around the world have already fostered communion and helped people become more aware of their responsibility for the mission of the church in service of the gospel.

The synodal church began growing at the grassroots and hopefully will bloom at the synod in Rome.

The hope is that the synod will "continue to animate the synodal process in the ordinary life of the church, identifying which pathways the Spirit invites us to walk along more decisively as one People of God," according to the "Instrumentum laboris."

Pope Francis is betting his papacy on the hope that these local ripples of synodality will combine into a tsunami that will transform the church so that it is truly a sign and instrument of communion with God and the unity of all humanity.

The church will become God's instrument for the transformation of the world.

• Thomas Reese SJ is a senior analyst at Religion News Service, and a former columnist at National Catholic Reporter, and a former editor-in-chief of the weekly Catholic magazine America.
• First published in RNS. Republished with permission.

Clerics, who believe they have all the answers and the power, tell the faithful what they can and cannot do.

On the other side are laity, who nod off in the pews and leave the heavy lifting to priests and religious.

The laity have never been asked to do anything but pray, pay and obey, so why bother?

That reality was sustainable, if not desirable, when there were lots of priests and religious and they were the most educated people in the parish.

Today, most parts of the world have an educated laity and so few priests and religious that the church is in serious decline.

Pope Francis has made a frontal attack on clericalism, telling bishops not to act like princes and telling priests to be more pastoral. With the Synod on Synodality, he is also calling the laity to step up and take ownership in the church.

In this process, it is especially important that the clergy listen to the laity, but it is also important that the laity listen to each other.

The U.S. bishops' report on the work so far — officially the "National Synthesis of the People of God in the United States of America for the Diocesan Phase of the 2021-2023 Synod" — released in September, summarizes 10 months of listening sessions in American parishes and dioceses.

Last month, I detailed in my column the enduring wounds that were exposed in the listening sessions.

They include "the enduring wounds caused by the clergy sexual abuse scandal, the pandemic, polarization, and marginalization have exposed a deep hunger for healing and the strong desire for communion, community, and a sense of belonging and being united."

But the listening sessions were not simply picking at old wounds.

They spoke of a longing for communion and participation in the church.

The laity is waking from its slumber and desires "to draw closer to God and each other through a deeper knowledge of Scripture, prayer, and sacramental celebrations, especially the Eucharist," the bishops wrote.

While there were different perspectives on what constitutes good liturgy, there was agreement on the need for "warmer hospitality, healing services, and more invigorating preaching by clergy."

According to the synthesis, "The most common desire named in the synodal consultations was to be a more welcoming Church where all members of the People of God can find accompaniment on the journey."

The participants in the sessions acknowledged the tension between walking with people while remaining faithful to the teachings of the church.

Yet "for many, the perception is that the blanket application of rules and policies is used as a means of wielding power or acting as a gatekeeper."

Quoting from the account of one consultation, the bishops' synthesis said, "People noted that the Church seems to prioritize doctrine over people, rules and regulations over lived reality."

That account could have been quoting Francis when it said, "People want the Church to be a home for the wounded and broken, not an institution for the perfect. They want the Church to meet people where they are, wherever they are, and walk with them rather than judging them; to build real relationships through care and authenticity, not superiority."

People needing to feel welcomed included, according to the synthesis, LGBTQ+ persons, who "believe they are condemned by Church teachings," and their families, who "feel torn between remaining in the church and supporting their loved ones."

Also divorced persons, "whether remarried or not, often feel unwelcome within the Church," according to the report.

"The annulment process is experienced as unduly burdensome and judgmental."

The divorced described "feeling like they are held to a higher standard while people who have committed other sins continue to receive communion."

Catholic people of colour "spoke of routine encounters with racism, both inside and outside the Church," the synthesis reports.

"Indigenous Catholics spoke of the generational trauma caused by racism and abuse in boarding schools."

The participants offered practical suggestions for creating more community across racial and ethnic lines.

"Providing forums for conversations on race, immigration, and loving openness to others is critical in allowing individuals to be heard and understood," was one.

Masses in different languages were mentioned, but some wondered how to share communion with all parishioners even when they celebrate separately.

"Practically all synodal consultations shared a deep ache in the wake of the departure of young people and viewed this as integrally connected to becoming a more welcoming Church," according to the report.

Young people "want the Church to speak out about issues that matter to them, especially justice, race, and climate change."

The young want to be seen not as the future of the church but as important now. They want to be given a significant voice in the present.

Finally, those taking part in the process felt the church needs to be more welcoming to women, suggesting "a variety of ways in which women could exercise leadership, including preaching and ordination as deacon or priest."

Participants "shared a deep appreciation for the powerful impact of women religious who have consistently led the way in carrying out the mission of the Church," the synthesis reports.

"There was a desire for stronger leadership, discernment, and decision-making roles for women — both lay and religious — in their parishes and communities."

Overall, the listening sessions showed no desire for a smaller, purer church.

Catholics do not seem to want to exclude the wounded or sinners. They prefer a welcoming community where all are called to communion and participation.

The people appear to be in line with Francis' desire for a welcoming church that travels together along the synodal path.

None of this will be surprising to anyone familiar with survey research on the Catholic laity.

What is new here is a papally endorsed process that allows the laity to surface their views in a public way.

The people are speaking.

Is anyone listening?

• Thomas Reese SJ is a senior analyst at Religion News Service, and a former columnist at National Catholic Reporter, and a former editor-in-chief of the weekly Catholic magazine America. First published in RNS. Republished with permission.

It will include a section regarding standards for politicians and public figures who support laws allowing abortion, euthanasia and other "moral evils."

The proposed document has already caused controversy. The Vatican has warned against exclusively focusing on abortion and euthanasia and cautioned that the document could further divide U.S. Catholics.

As a Catholic scholar of religion, I would argue that battles over Holy Communion are nothing new in the Catholic Church.

The importance of Holy Communion

In the Catholic Church, the Communion service is one of seven rituals called sacraments that have a primary significance. During this service, called a Mass, Catholics believe that the bread and wine, when especially blessed by a priest, become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Ritually consuming this bread and wine is a special way to "commune," or be united, with Jesus Christ.

Catholics call both the celebration of Mass and the blessed bread and wine the Eucharist, from the Greek word meaning "thanksgiving." Receiving Communion can also be called receiving the Eucharist.

The Catholic Church teaches that in order to receive Communion, a person must not be conscious of serious sin - such as murder or adultery - that has not already been absolved through confession to a priest.

In early Christianity, rules about receiving Communion could be strict. Christians who were known to be guilty of serious sins were not supposed to receive Communion until they went through a process of reconciliation with a local bishop.

In the Middle Ages, very few Catholics actually received Communion at all, as many believed that they were unworthy to do so.

The possibility of scandal

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Catholic Church encouraged a more frequent - even daily - reception of Communion.

Still, one of the main concerns surrounding Communion is that someone publicly known to be committing serious sins would receive Communion. Such cases create "scandal."

In the Catholic Church's terminology, scandal is "an attitude or behaviour which leads another to do evil." So, someone who accepts Communion while at the same time publicly continuing in sinful behaviour encourages others to continue to do the same as well.

When it comes to public policy, the compendium of Catholic doctrine, the Catholic Cathechism, specifically states, "they are guilty of scandal who establish laws or social structures leading to the decline of morals and the corruption of religious practice."

Denying Holy Communion

There is a history of the Catholic Church denying Communion to those participating in what is considered publicly sinful behaviour.

One of the most famous examples is of Ambrose, bishop of Milan, who baptized the theologian Augustine of Hippo, who later became one of the most influential figures in Christian history.

Ambrose denied Communion to the Roman Emperor Theodosius in the fourth century. Enraged by the lynching of a leader of a Roman army garrison, Theodosius gave orders that led to a massacre in the port city of Thessalonica, which killed 7,000 citizens. In a letter calling for Theodosius to take responsibility for his actions, Ambrose wrote, "Are you ashamed, O Emperor?"

From 1208 to 1214, Pope Innocent III asked his bishops to place England and Wales under "interdict," or "prohibition," which banned the performance of all sacraments - including the Eucharist - except for baptism and confession of the dying.

The reason for this extreme act was said to be that King John had rejected Innocent III's candidate for the important position of archbishop of Canterbury.

In the early 20th century, Irish bishops spoke against continuing acts of violence by Irish nationalists who opposed the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921, which established the Irish Free State and ended the Irish War of Independence.

In a letter published on 22 October 1922, the Irish bishops denied absolution and Communion to "irregulars" using violence against the "legitimate authority" of the government.

More recently, it was reported in 2011 that priests in Malta were denying Communion to Catholics who supported legalizing divorce.

In the United States, presidential candidate John Kerry was denied Communion in 2004, reportedly for his support for abortion rights. The same issue saw Joseph Biden denied Communion in 2019 by a church in South Carolina.

Holy Communion controversies

At the same time, the Catholic Church has also been questioned for not denying Communion to Catholic public figures who have behaved sinfully.

In his trip to Chile in 1987, Pope John Paul II criticized the military dictatorship under the Army General Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet led a revolt that toppled the elected government.

Thousands were tortured and executed under his rule. But the pope still gave Pinochet Communion.

When Pope John Paul II was beatified - a crucial step in becoming named a saint - Zimbabwe's ruler, Robert Mugabe, was in attendance.

Among many human rights abuses, Mugabe sanctioned the killing of 20,000 people belonging to the Ndebele ethnic minority who were loyal to his rival, Joshua Nkomo. Nonetheless, Mugabe was allowed to take Communion at the Vatican, in St. Peter's Square. Some in the African Catholic media called this a "scandal."

The path forward

Pope Francis has stated: "The Eucharist, although it is the fullness of sacramental life, is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak."

And so one of the key issues that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' proposed document will surely need to address is when human weakness becomes a serious sin and scandal.

While the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will issue guidelines for the reception of Communion, it will be the task of individual bishops to decide how to put them into practice.

And some Catholic bishops, notably Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington D.C., have said they will not deny communion to President Biden in their jurisdictions.

At the present time, the Catholic Church in America is highly polarized. For his part, President Biden, who goes to Mass every week, has said that he has no plan to change how he worships.

In such a context, U.S. Catholic bishops will have to move forward very carefully.

• Mathew Schmalz Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
• First published in The Conversation

Journalists, here's your answer: This is a stupid story for canonical, theological and political reasons.

First, and foremost, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops does not have the canonical authority to tell Biden that he cannot go to Communion.

During the papacy of John Paul II, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, emphasised the limited authority of bishops' conferences.

Who can or cannot go to Communion in a diocese is to be decided by the local bishop, not the bishops' conference. The most the conference can do is make recommendations to local bishops.

If the USCCB wants the authority to decide such matters, it will need to request an exception to church law from Rome.

This request requires a two-thirds vote of the conference bishops and Rome's approval for the exception.

It is highly unlikely that the pope would approve such an exception. The odds are that the Vatican would not even respond to the request while Biden is in office.

As a result, as long as Biden resides in Washington, D.C., and goes to church there, it will be Cardinal Wilton Gregory who determines whether he can go to Communion.

Gregory has said he will not stop Biden from going to Communion.

When Biden is in his home state of Delaware, it will be up to the local bishop there.

Delaware has just gotten a new bishop, and while his predecessor allowed Biden to go to Communion, the new bishop has not yet made his position known.

Likewise, when Biden is travelling around the country, it will be the local bishop wherever he goes to Mass who decides whether he can go to Communion or not.

Biden's aides are smart enough to avoid scheduling him for Mass in a diocese with an unfriendly bishop.

Biden and his staff have also been smart enough to avoid being pulled into a debate over his worthiness for Communion.

He says this is a personal matter, and his staff keeps the news cameras out when he goes to church.

Second, theologically, no one is worthy to go to Communion. We are all sinners, and it is God's gracious kindness and love that invites us to the Lord's table. We do not earn the right to Communion.

As Pope Francis would say, the church is a field hospital for the wounded. It is not a country club for the elite. This attitude has led Francis to make it easier for divorced and remarried Catholics to go to Communion.

Every Catholic is asked to reflect on their attitude as they approach Communion, but it is exceptional when church officials block an individual from Communion.

Some bishops believe that certain issues are so grave that they should be grounds for stopping someone from going to Communion.

Putting aside the merits of the debate, there are practical problems. For example, which issues should make the list?

Some say abortion and gender issues, but it should be noted that Biden has never challenged the church's position on the morality of abortion.

He believes that it should be legal, which is the position of more than half of Catholics. If Biden should be banned from Communion, then so should more than half of American Catholics.

But what about other issues?

• What about politicians who lie about the results of the election and encourage their followers to overturn the will of the people?
• What about politicians who support racism through voter suppression laws?
• What about politicians who fight policies to deal with global warming?
• What about politicians who deny refuge to those fleeing oppression and want, who do nothing to save those dying in the desert or drowning at sea?
• What about politicians who deny Medicaid to the poor?

Everybody has their list of people who should be denied Communion. Who is to decide?

When he was archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George, no liberal, put it succinctly when he said he did not want his priests playing cop at the Communion rail.

We should also remember that St John Paul II gave Communion to pro-choice politicians, notably former British Prime Minister Tony Blair (not even a Catholic at the time). He also gave Communion to the mayor of Rome.

All of this leads to my third conclusion, that this is all about politics, not the Eucharist.

The bishops who are talking about having the bishops' conference at its June meeting deny Biden Communion are not stupid.

They know canon law.

They know that the bishops' conference does not have the authority to ban Biden from Communion.

The pro-life groups pushing this agenda also know this.

So, what is going on? It is politics.

The Democratic Party has abandoned any semblance of giving space to opponents of abortion.

During the 2020 presidential primaries, no serious Democratic candidate even supported the Hyde Amendment, which forbids federal spending on abortion.

Biden, who had supported the amendment during his entire political career, changed his position before the campaign, even though a majority of Americans oppose federal funds for abortions.

Opponents of abortion see no alternative to the Republican Party, and they are willing to wage war on Democrats no matter what.

The Communion wars are part of this political strategy, not any spiritual one.

Republicans know that the Communion wars are catnip to journalists, and Republicans and their episcopal allies prefer these stories to those describing Biden's efforts on COVID-19, infrastructure, climate change and jobs.

Stories about the bishops' conference denying Communion to Biden are about as realistic as stories about the National Governors Association impeaching the president.

• Thomas Reese SJ is a senior analyst at Religion News Service, and a former columnist at National Catholic Reporter, and a former editor-in-chief of the weekly Catholic magazine America. First published in RNS. Republished with permission.

The issue of Catholics and Protestants being able to receive communion in each other's churches has long been an issue in Germany and is particularly important for the many German couples who have a partner belonging to either church.

The Bishop of Augsburg, Bertram Meier has long wished that Catholics and Protestants come closer in their understandings of ordained ministry and Eucharistic communion.

Meier explained that he "dream[s]" of a shared Catholic-Protestant document "in which we emphasise our common confession and only secondarily name our differences so that we come closer to the common reception of Communion."

The issue of shared communion was addressed in an appraisal titled "Together around the Lord's Table."

Published in September 2019 by German Catholic and Protestant theologians and bishops the text of the paper explicitly argued that Catholics and Protestants should be able to receive the Eucharist at celebrations of the other denomination.

The topic was due for discussion at the German bishops' plenary assembly in Fulda at the end of September but was taken off the agenda following feedback from the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).

Earlier in the year, the German Bishops earlier presented "Together around the Lord's Table" to the CDF but following their review, in September, the CDF voiced strong objections.

The CDF stated that differences between Catholics and Protestants in the understanding of the Eucharist and the ministry were too significant to allow "reciprocal Eucharistic hospitality."

As reported in October 2020 by the German Catholic news agency, KNA, leaders of both churches identified questions that "still need to be clarified."

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• Novena News
• CathNews Australia

These services are "not consistent with the Instructions from the Holy See," he told Catholics in his diocese.

He pointed to an Instruction from the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments issued in 2004.

The Instruction says diocesan bishops "should not easily grant permission" for Communion Services without a priest to be held on weekdays "especially in places where it was possible or would be possible to have the celebration of Mass on the preceding or the following Sunday." Read more
http://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2018/08/08/us-bishop-orders-halt-to-communion-services-without-a-priest/

Eijk was responding to Francis's response this week to a delegation of German bishops about allowing the non-Catholic partners of Catholics to receive Communion in certain circumstances.

Rather than make a direct ruling, Francis urged the bishops to come to a unanimous decision themselves.

In his open letter to Francis, Eijk said this response is "completely incomprehensible."

He said Francis's "failure to give German bishops proper directives, based on the clear doctrine and practice of the church, points to a drift towards apostasy from the truth.

"The Church's doctrine and practice regarding the administration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist to Protestants is perfectly clear."

He then quoted the Code of Canon Law (844 § 4). This says:

"If the danger of death is present or if, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, some other grave necessity urges it, Catholic ministers administer these same sacraments licitly also to other Christians not having full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who seek such on their own accord, provided that they manifest Catholic faith in respect to these sacraments and are properly disposed."

Eijk said Eastern Orthodox Christians "have true sacraments and above all, by virtue of their apostolic succession, a valid priesthood and a valid Eucharist," so administering the Eucharist to them is allowable.

However, Protestants do not share faith in the priesthood or the Eucharist, he said.

Therefore if someone receives the bread and wine without believing in transubstantiation, the Body and Blood of Christ are not really present.

This is why communion should not be administered to a Protestant, Eijk said.

The differences between consubstantiation (which the Lutheran church, for example, believes in) and transubstantiation are so great, that except in case of danger of death the Church must ask the person to explicitly and formally enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.

Only in this way can the person explicitly confirm acceptance of the faith of the Catholic Church, including the Eucharist, Eijk said.

Source

• Dutch News
• The Tablet
• Image: Twitter

The policy agreed to by over three quarters of the bishops will allow the non-Catholic spouses of Catholics to receive Communion in certain circumstances.

The policy says one of the most important conditions enabling spouses to receive Communion is that they "share the Catholic faith" on the Eucharist.

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki and six other bishops disagree with the new policy.

They wrote to the Vatican asking for clarification. They said they don't think the issue is within the competence of a local bishops' conference. They think it is a universal Church matter.

Last week six of the bishops and their secretary, a Jesuit priest, went to Rome to ask Pope Francis to rule on the matter.

They met with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the Congregation for Bishops and with the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity.

Archbishop Luis Ladaria, the CDF prefect, then reported to Pope Francis giving him a summary of the conversations.

He returned to the delegation saying Francis wished them to continue discussion of the issue among themselves. He explained Francis is hoping for "a possibly unanimous arrangement."

Francis has sought to decentralise church decision-making in favor of local solutions. He emphasises conscience and case-by-case solutions to pastoral problems.

Source

• Crux Now
• Catholic Culture
• The Sacramento Bee
• La Croix
• Image: Zenit

According to draft guidelines approved by the German Bishops' Conference in February, Protestant spouses may receive Communion after making a "serious examination of conscience".

The Bishops' Conference says they must also affirm "the faith of the Catholic Church", and wish to end "serious spiritual distress" and a "longing to satisfy hunger for the Eucharist". Read more

Sarah, who is the Prefect for the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, wants Catholics to kneel and receive the Host on the tongue.

He says this mode is "more suited to the sacrament.

"Truly the war between Michael and his Angels on one side, and Lucifer on the other, continues in the heart of the faithful.

"Satan's target is the Sacrifice of the Mass and the Real Presence of Jesus in the consecrated host," Sarah wrote in a foreword to a book by Fr Federico Bortoli.

The book is called "La Distribuzione della Comunione sulla Mano: Profili Storici, Giuridici e Pastorali" ("The distribution of Communion in the hand: a historical, juridical, and pastoral overview").

"Why do we insist on communicating standing in the hand?" Sarah asks in the foreword.

"Why this attitude of lack of submission to the signs of God? [Receiving kneeling and on the tongue] is much more suited to the sacrament itself.

"I hope there can be a rediscovery and promotion of the beauty and pastoral value of this manner.

"In my opinion and judgement, this is an important question on which the Church today must reflect."

Sarah says communion in the hand "involves a great dispersion of fragments" of the Host, which, although small, are still the body of the Lord.

"Failure to respect this can cause people to lose their belief in the Real Presence, leading Catholics to think: 'If even the parish priest does not pay attention to the fragments, if he administers the Communion so that the fragments can be dispersed, then it means that Jesus is not in them, or only up to a certain point'".

So far, Pope Francis has not commented on Sarah's comments.

However, last year he twice publicly rejected Sarah's attempts to alter papal decrees.

Once was over his attempts to water down a new papal directive handing more power to local bishops over liturgical translations.

The other was after Sarah suggested priests should turn east and celebrate Mass "ad orientem".

At that time Francis said the liturgical reforms of Vatican II are "irreversible".

Receiving communion in the hand was practised by the early Christians.

The practice re-emerged after the Second Vatican Council.

This council of the world's bishops also voted for changes in the liturgy including the use of vernacular languages.

New Zealand is one of many countries where communion is received in the hand.

Source

• The Tablet
• Catholic Herald
• Image: Lifesite News

A diocesan synod helps to establish the ‘communion and mission' of a diocesan community.

In the decree of convocation Dew said he was mindful of Pope Francis' desire that we advance along the path of what he calls "a pastoral and missionary conversion which cannot leave things as they presently are".

The letter continues, "Pope Francis explains what he means by pastoral and missionary conversion when he writes 'Pastoral ministry in a missionary key seeks to abandon the complacent attitude that says, 'We have always done it this way'"

"It means being bold and creative in the task of rethinking the goals, structures, style and methods of evangelisation in our Diocesan community with its various parish and ecclesial, religious and social communities."

"Pope Francis is re-shaping our priorities and attitudes, and we need to respond at the grassroots level to his vision," Dew said.

"The last two archdiocesan synods focused on liturgy, youth and young adults, family, welcoming communities, adult education, social justice.

"These are all essential parts of the life of the Church but are mostly internal matters with focus on ourselves rather than on our mission.

"The parish amalgamation process has required us to have a strong internal focus over the last few years. There is more work to be done within parishes to further the amalgamation at a practical level, and to deepen communion in our parishes.

"But that communion must extend further, because Pope Francis is challenging us strongly to ‘go out'.

"In both his words and actions, Pope Francis consistently challenges us to rethink our approach and priorities.

"He returns to certain themes again and again: the peripheries of society; our own peripheries; refugees and migrants; care for creation; ecumenism; interfaith relations; accompanying the young.

Dew concludes by saying that now is the time for the Archdiocese to reflect on how we can be a Church that is at the service of the world around us.

Source

• wn.catholic.org.nz
• Image: wn.catholic.org.nz

"But that for the moment this is what they all have to live with as they push towards full Christian Unity." he added

He was speaking on Vatican radio in an interview with Linda Bordoni while in Rome to receive his red cardinal's hat.

Ribat said full Christian unity is a "pathway that leads to lasting peace and friendship especially at this moment in history which is seeing so many divisions and conflicts."

He talked about his personal, very deep, experience of dialogue and sharing with other communions as he comes from a family where many of his relatives are from the Methodist tradition.

Ribat suggested that perhaps his ecumenical commitment is one of the reasons Pope Francis chose him to be part of the College of Cardinals.

Ribat is the chairman of the ecumenical movement in Papua New Guinea - to promote ecumenical dialogue in a region where a large percentage of the faithful belong to protestant denominations.

"While we are saying that the Catholic Church is the mother church, then we have to be true to our name and embrace all" he says.

Regarding other issues that he feels are particular challenges he is called to address, the cardinal spoke of the relationship his Bishops' Conference has with Muslims - who are a minority in his geographical area - but whom have been invited to share their concerns with representatives of other faiths in this very difficult time.

Listen to interview

Source

• radiovaticanican.va
• Image: the-star.co.ke

Wednesday's L'Osservatore Romano carried a front page essay by Italian Catholic historian and politician Rocco Buttiglione.

He insisted that the document is in line with teaching by previous popes on divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receiving Communion.

Amoris Laetitia has been interpreted by some as Francis giving a cautious opening on the issue.

Using strategically placed footnotes, the document seemed to suggest that bishops and priests could open a door on a case-by-case basis after accompanying people on a spiritual journey of discernment.

Buttiglione said the Church has always taught that there can be cases in which the faithful might not believe themselves to be in a state of mortal sin or might not be fully responsible for it, which can mitigate their culpability.

"The path that the pope proposes to divorced and remarried is exactly the same that the Church proposes to all sinners: Go to confession, and your confessor, after evaluating all the circumstances, will decide whether to absolve you and admit you to the Eucharist or not," he wrote.

Earlier this month, the Vatican-approved magazine La Civilta Cattolica ran an interview with Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn in which the Vienna archbishop pointedly rejected claims that Francis's work didn't count as an authoritative teaching document.

The document, Cardinal Schoenborn said, "is an act of the magisterium that makes the teaching of the Church present and relevant today".

In May, German Cardinal Gerhard Mueller said decisions about whether someone can receive the sacraments cannot be arrived at purely in the realm of individual, private discernment.

"A privatisation of the sacramental economy would certainly not be Catholic," he said in a speech in Spain.

Cardinal Mueller is the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Sources

• Associated Press
• Image: Catholic News Agency

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia recently released pastoral guidelines in the wake of Pope Francis's post-synodal exhortation Amoris Laetitia.

In the guidelines, one of the topics addressed was divorced and civilly remarried Catholics living as brother and sister, without having sexual intercourse.

"Undertaking to live as brother and sister is necessary for the divorced and civilly remarried to receive reconciliation in the sacrament of Penance, which could then open the way to the Eucharist," the new guidelines read.

The guidelines also emphasised the parts of Francis's document that essentially told clergy not to give up on people whose lives don't adhere strictly to Catholic teaching.

Philadelphia's mayor Jim Kenny reacted negatively to aspects of the guidelines.

The mayor tweeted: "Jesus gave us gift of Holy Communion because he so loved us. All of us. Chaput's actions are not Christian."

The Catholic League's Bill Donohue said the tweet was an abuse of the mayor's office.

Veteran Vatican journalist John Allen predicted that approaches on to how to put Amoris Laetitia into practice will take two paths.

"My suspicion is that those who are inclined to a more progressive reading [of Amoris Laetitia] are not going to put out documents to say so.

"It will quietly be made clear to priests that it is OK under certain circumstances, for example, to allow some people to quietly come back to Communion," Allen said.

"My suspicion is that the more traditional line [adopted by some bishops] will be more public."

Sources

• Catholic Herald
• The Guardian
• Washington Post
• Philadelphia guidelines
• Image: Philly Voice

The girl's parents were furious after the priest told them twice that their daughter was "not ready" to receive the sacrament.

The priest, from Sicily, told the girl's mother that her daughter was "unable to understand the significance" of Communion.

He reportedly told the parents to wait until the girl understands more.

The mother told local media that her daughter would not change over time.

"Barring a miracle, she will never be like other children."

The parents pushed for a private ceremony, to avoid "disorder", but the priest still refused.

Italy's Education Undersecretary, Davide Faraone, subsequently took to Facebook to lambast the "ignorance" and "discrimination" of the Church.

Mr Faraone, whose own daughter is autistic, observed that Italian churches routinely shun autistic children.

"If you search 'priest denies communion to autistic child' on Google, there are pages and pages of results from all over Italy," Mr Faraone wrote.

"But religion is about heart, not mind.

"This only happens because there is so much ignorance around autism.

"We can't go on like this and need to end discrimination."

The priest later told media that he "was ready to celebrate the child".

He denied resisting her parents' requests to allow her to take her first Communion.

According to local media, the priest has been criticised in the past for hanging a photo of Sicily's former president, Salvatore "Totò" Cuffaro, at the church.

This was even though Cuffaro had reportedly been jailed for aiding the Mafia.

Sources

• The Local.IT
• RT
• Image: Irish Independent

The prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, told seminarians in Spain that the apostolic exhortation does not change the Church's discipline in this area.

John Paul II, Benedict XVI and the CDF have all said in the last 35 years that the divorced and civilly remarried should not receive Communion unless they live "in complete continence".

Cardinal Müller told the seminarians: "If Amoris Laetitia wanted to overturn such a deep-rooted and important discipline, it would have expressed this precisely and given reasons for it".

Footnote 351 of Amoris Laetitia was related to text in paragraph 305, concerning those in "irregular situations".

" . . . Because of forms of conditioning and mitigating factors, it is possible that in an objective situation of sin - which may not be subjectively culpable, or fully such - a person can be living in God's grace, can love and can also grow in the life of grace and charity, while receiving the Church's help to this end." AL(305)

The footnote went on to say: "In certain cases, this can include the help of the sacraments. . . ."

It referenced previous statements by Pope Francis about priests not making the confessional into a torture chamber and the Eucharist being powerful medicine for the weak, not a prize for the perfect.

Cardinal Müller said the document's footnote 351 does not specify the divorced and remarried.

"Without going into details, it is enough to point out that this footnote refers to objective situations of sin in general, not to the specific case of civilly remarried divorcees," he said.

"The situation of the latter has peculiar features which distinguishes it from other situations," the cardinal added.

The footnote, the cardinal went on, "does not apply to the previous discipline".

Referring to the teaching of John Paul and Benedict, he added: "The standard of Familaris Consortio [84] and Sacramentum Caritatis [29] and their application in all cases is still valid."

Sources

• Catholic Herald
• Catholic Herald
• Amoris Laetitia
• Image: Catholic Herald

This was stated in an article by major penitentiary at Milan Cathedral, Msgr Fausto Gilardi, a translation of which was published on the Crux website.

In the article, he mentioned the reaction to a chapter titled "Accompanying, Discerning and Integrating Weakness" in the Pope's apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia.

"In some cases, linked to partial information in the press, there's been a ‘demand' for absolution, and thus confession is seen as a sort of passport towards the Eucharist," Msgr Gilardi wrote.

"The phenomenon has a certain urgency, since the time of First Communion and Confirmation is drawing near, and parents want to participate fully in the sacraments of Christian initiation for their children."

Among priests themselves, the question immediately came up: "What do we say? How do we act?"

"The questions clearly show the need for a common discernment within the presbyterate," Msgr Gilardi continued.

"Some priests, perhaps in a slightly rushed and efficiency-oriented way, have opened a ‘teller's window' for consultation, giving the idea that "any priest can quickly grant ‘exceptions'."

But the Monsignor quickly noted that "this is certainly not the model proposed by the apostolic exhortation".

"On the contrary, the Pope's text says that with ‘a pastor capable of acknowledging the seriousness of the matter before him, there can be no risk that a specific discernment may lead people to think that the Church maintains a double standard." (AL300)

Msgr Gilardi noted the document's repeated use of the phrase "path of discernment".

"The phrase immediately gets across the idea that there's a journey to undertake, and the timing and modes of that journey will vary from situation to situation."

Among other points the article discussed was the importance of a correctly formed conscience.

Msgr Gilardi concluded by stating: "The faithful have experienced the eagerness of pastors who aren't called to impose a norm, but to lift up the value expressed through that norm, carrying in a real sense the ‘smell of the sheep'."

Sources

• Crux
• Catholic Herald
• Image: Layover Guide

On his flight back from the Greek island of Lesbos on Saturday, the Pope was asked about a much-commented-upon footnote in his recent apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia.

In a section of the document discussing pastoral discernment for divorced and remarried persons, a footnote (351) stated that "in certain cases [the Church's help to grow in the life of grace and charity] can include the help of the sacraments".

A journalist asked why the Pope had put that in a footnote, and if it meant he wanted to indicate the issue was not overwhelmingly important.

"One of the last Popes, speaking about the Council, said there were two Councils," Francis responded.

"The Second Vatican Council that met in St Peter's Basilica and the other was the Council of the media."

"When I convoked the first synod, the great worry of the majority of the media was will they give Communion to the divorced and remarried?" he continued.

"Not being a saint, this annoyed me a bit, but also made me a bit sad," said Francis.

"The media that say this . . . do not see that this is not the important problem of the Church.

"They do not see that the family in all the world is in crisis. And family is the base of society."

The Pope also lamented Europe's declining birth rates, youth not wanting to marry and a lack of jobs.

Francis was also asked if, after the exhortation, there are new concrete possibilities regarding the Church's pastoral practice for remarried Catholics

"I can say yes, many" responded Francis.

"But it would be an answer that is too small," he added.

Francis referred to the presentation of Amoris Laetitia by Cardinal Christoph Schonborn earlier this month.

"In that presentation, your question will find an answer," Francis said, noting that Cardinal Schonborn is a "great theologian".

Cardinal Schonborn had suggested that the footnote was part of a "via caritatis" proposed by the Pope, that did not offer case studies or recipes, but stressed mercy and help for the weak.

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• Catholic News Agency (text of Pope's in-flight press conference)
• Zenit (text of Cardinal Schonborn's presentation)
• Amoris Laetitia
• Image: Catholic Herald

The National Catholic Register reported sources stating that Bishop Samuel Salmi of Oulu in Finland and other Finnish Lutherans indicated to the Catholic priests at the Mass that they wanted a blessing.

They reportedly tried to show they were ineligible to receive by putting their right hands on their left shoulders.

But the priests, who were reportedly aware that the people coming forward were Lutherans, offered them communion anyway.

The bishop said Pope Francis was not at the Mass.

But Bishop Salmi added that the Pope has repeatedly indicated he would like to develop unity between different denominations.

Bishop Salmi told a news agency that Pope Francis has theological enemies in the Vatican and so may be limited in how freely he can speak.

After news reports came out about Lutherans receiving Catholic communion, the Finnish Catholic Church called the incident a mistake and an obstacle to unity.

In November, Pope Francis urged a Lutheran woman married to a Catholic to "talk to the Lord" about receiving Catholic communion.

She should then "go forward" the Pope said, but he cautioned that he "wouldn't ever dare to allow this, because it is not my competence".

The Pope's words were interpreted by Rome's Lutheran community to mean that Lutherans could receive Catholic communion in accordance with their conscience.

But just before Christmas, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said this was not correct.

Cardinal Gerhard Müller told the National Catholic Register that "misunderstandings come up again and again because of a failure to take account of the fact that, unfortunately, there is actually a different understanding of the Church between Catholics and Protestants".

These differences, he said, "are not only theological-conceptual, but of a confessional nature".

He added that the Church continues in its ecumenical goal to reach "visible and institutional unity", with the Pope as head of the Church.

In October, Pope Francis is to participate in a joint ecumenical commemoration in Sweden marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Sources

• National Catholic Register
• Catholic Herald
• National Catholic Reporter
• National Catholic Register
• National Catholic Register
• Vatican Radio
• Image: Crisis Magazine

The consecrated host was reportedly placed in a glass of water by a priest to whom it was returned during Mass.

Three days later, churchgoers at St Xavier Church in Kearns reported the host had not dissolved and appeared to be bleeding.

For a short time the host was on display, before Salt Lake City diocese took possession of it and launched an investigation.

The results of the inquiry will be made public.

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