Bishops vote to draft teaching document on the Eucharist

The U.S. bishops approved by a wide margin a plan to draft a document to examine the "meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the church" following a lengthy debate during their spring general assembly.

The action to move forward passed with 168 votes in favor and 55 votes against it. There were six abstentions.

The results, announced June 18, allows the bishops' Committee on Doctrine to draft the document and present it for discussion when the bishops reconvene in person in November.

For more than two hours June 17, 43 bishops shared their views on whether such a document was necessary at a time when Catholics are returning to regular Mass attendance as pandemic restrictions ease or if it should even be considered lest it be perceived as fracturing the unity of a church already faced with numerous challenges.

Most bishops welcomed the idea of strengthening teaching about the Eucharist, especially given that the bishops have embarked on a multiyear National Eucharistic Revival initiative that is part of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' 2021-2024 strategic plan, "Created Anew by the Body and Blood of Christ: Source of Our Healing and Hope."

In a prerecorded presentation, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, chairman of the doctrine committee, reviewed an outline of the document, which would include three parts, subtitled "The Eucharist, A Mystery to be Believed," "The Eucharist, A Mystery to be Celebrated" and "The Eucharist, A Mystery to be Lived."

As proposed, each part includes three topics that would be addressed including, respectively, the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in Communion; unity, beauty and identity as the "fount and apex of the whole Christian life"; and moral transformation, eucharistic consistency and missionary discipleship.

“meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the church”

The meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the Church? What is this?

What is the meaning of the Real Presence of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ Jesus in the life of the Church? Is this really in any way unclear at this point?

Do the U.S. Bishops and Cardinals mean to say that the Catholic Church writ large is not already in possession of definitive documents covering every square inch of every aspect or permutation of this subject, viewed from every imaginable angle, and as applied to every conceivable circumstance?

Or did they mean to say “the meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the Church ***in the United States***”, as if they just now realized that when one crosses the border into this country, the “meaning” of the Eucharist in the life of the Church” somehow becomes different from all other places in the world, thereby necessitating an unique new teaching document?

Let’s guess...this document will be in draft form and unreleased until...hmm...January, 2025 at the earliest? Or maybe never released at all due to (artificially perpetuated) debates and disagreements between and among U.S. prelates, the details of which never be made known to anyone other than insiders and higher-ups in the Church hierarchy?

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.