POINTSOFVIEW | EDITORIAL
CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ
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By Susan Hines-Brigger
Bishops: Be Teachers, Not Judges
t their annual meeting this past November, the US Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States. bishops passed the statement “The Mystery of the The archbishop took a broader approach, focusing on the Eucharist in the Life of the Church.” The statement is concept of synodality, which comes from the Greek word meant to be a reflection on the transformative beauty of the synodos (to be on the journey together). While the word and Eucharist, which invites each of us into a deeper relationconcept of synodality might seem a little inside baseball for ship with Christ. many Catholics, the idea is simple: Don’t talk at us; talk with Many were surprised by the document, considering the us. It is the antithesis of what has been happening. tone of the debate and rhetoric that had been taking place He encouraged the bishops to face the issues they would for the past year on the topic of whether or not to offer the be discussing in that same spirit. Doing so, he believes, “is Eucharist to politicians who support policies such as aboran answer to the challenges of our time and to the contion rights. And while the bishops continually claimed that frontation, which is threatening to divide this country, and the topic was not politically which also has its echoes driven, it was hard to see it in the Church.” otherwise, seeing that the Speaking specifically to the debate began shortly after Eucharist issue, he told the the election of US President bishops: “We can become so Joe Biden, the second concentrated upon the sacralCatholic president. ity of forms of the liturgy that In fact, on the day of we miss the true encounter President Biden’s elecwith His Real Presence. There tion, Archbishop José is the temptation to treat the Gómez, president of the Eucharist as something to be US Conference of Catholic offered to the privileged few Bishops, announced plans rather than to seek to walk for the formation of a workwith those whose theology or ing group to address the discipleship is falling short, issue. The group never came assisting them to understand to fruition, but the topic and appreciate the gift of the “The Eucharist is not the reward of remained front and center. Eucharist and helping them saints, but the bread of sinners.” Some bishops said that they to overcome their difficulties.” —Pope Francis would deny President Biden the Eucharist if he presented MOVING FORWARD It was not the first time the himself for it during Mass. Others said that the Eucharist was not something to be used archbishop had encouraged the bishops to walk the path of as a bargaining chip and should not be denied to anyone synodality. Last June, amid the tension caused by the discussion of the eucharistic document, he told them, “The starting who is properly disposed. point, therefore, cannot be to shame the weak but to propose Pope Francis weighed in, saying that he had never denied the One who can strengthen us to overcome our weaknesses, anyone the Eucharist and that the sacrament “is not the especially through the sacraments of reconciliation and reward of saints, but the bread of sinners.” The head of the the Eucharist.” Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Luis They didn’t listen then. Maybe they will this time, seeLadaria Ferrer, SJ, cautioned the bishops last June not to move ahead with a planned document on eucharistic “coher- ing as the document only subtly refers to the issue, noting, “Laypeople who exercise some form of public authority have ence and consistency.” It seemed as if every time you turned a special responsibility to form their consciences in accord around, there was another twist in the ongoing dilemma. It with the Church’s faith and the moral law, and to serve the wasn’t completely clear what type of document the bishops human family by upholding human life and dignity.” were going to be voting on at their November meeting or The bishops have every right to speak out on the imporhow the discussion was going to go. tance of the Eucharist. They should. How they do it, though, WORDS OF WISDOM matters. Hopefully, in the spirit of Archbishop Pierre’s words, they’ll use their newly passed statement on the Eucharist as a Before any of the discussions or voting took place, the bishops heard their customary address from Archbishop conversation starter, not a litmus test. StAnthonyMessenger.org | February 2022 • 15
