FR. TOM’S LETTER ON THE BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE AND THE REAL PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN THE EUCHARIST
[from the November 28 Sunday bulletin…] After the Bishops’ Conference in Baltimore this past week, some of the news media gave the impression that the bishops did not address the issue of whether pro-abortion rights politicians should be allowed to receive communion. I read through parts of the document and came to another conclusion. They concluded: “We also need to keep in mind that ‘the celebration of the Eucharist presupposes that communion already exists, a communion which it seeks to consolidate and bring to perfection.’ [St. John Paul II’s Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia].” The Eucharist is the sacrament of ecclesial communion, as it both signifies and effects most fully the communion with Christ that began in Baptism. This includes communion in its “visible dimension, which entails communion in the teaching of the Apostles, in the sacraments and in the Church’s hierarchical order. Likewise, the reception of Holy Communion entails one’s communion with the Church in this visible dimension. We repeat what the U.S. Bishops stated in 2006: ‘If a Catholic in his or her personal or professional life were knowingly and obstinately to reject the defined doctrines of the Church, or knowingly and obstinately to repudiate her definitive teaching on moral issues, however, he or she would seriously diminish his or her communion with the Church. Reception of Holy Communion in such a situation would not accord with the nature of the Eucharistic celebration, so that he or she should refrain.’ Reception of Holy Communion in such a situation is also likely to cause scandal for others, weakening their resolve to be faithful to the demands of the Gospel.” There is much more in the document. Since none of us are bishops, we do not decide who may or may not receive the Eucharist. At our local level, I think what we need to do constantly is to be aware that the Eucharist truly is the Body of Christ and that one must be prepared spiritually and morally to participate by receiving. Nonetheless, it is obvious that many times people do not understand the need for this preparation. Regularly people come to funeral, wedding, quinceañera, etc., Masses and awkwardly look around (even after they have been invited to present themselves for a blessing) and decide to come for communion because they see others do so. It is easy to understand their confusion but also suggests our greater need to understand that the reception of the Eucharist is both a personal encounter with Jesus Christ and also a public witness of our faith and adherence to his teachings in the Church.