In his letter, Cardinal Cupich said that the gravity of the topic of the Eucharist necessitated an in-person discourse, and pointed to a recent letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The prefect of the congregation, Luis Cardinal Ladaria, had written Archbishop Gomez May 7, advising the U.S. bishops that if they were to issue any “national policy” on Communion for pro-abortion Catholic public officials, they would first need extensive and “serene” dialogue among themselves to ensure unity on the Church’s teaching.
Cardinal Cupich said that the unity which Cardinal Ladaria mentioned could not come about while the bishops held a virtual conference. He asked that bishops first discuss the matter in person, by region, before gathering in person as a conference to discuss any teaching document on the Eucharist.
Bishop James Conley of Lincoln had his own reaction to that letter. He said he was “surprised and dismayed” when he learned that a group of bishops had written to ask for a delay.
“If the polls are correct, some 70% of Catholics do not believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Now is not the time to suspend discussion among the U.S. bishops on the question of Eucharistic coherence at our upcoming June meeting,” Bishop Conley said in a May 26 statement.
“We do not need less discussion but rather more discussion on the mystery, beauty and gift of the Holy Eucharist,” the bishop said. “At our last general assembly in November, the U.S. bishops voted overwhelmingly in favor of the process of preparing a document that would address these issues.”
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Bishop Conley too voiced his “full support” for Archbishop Gomez and his plan.
“It seems to me that to thwart this process would be to shirk our responsibility as shepherds,” he said. Cardinal Ladaria’s counsel, he thought, “in no way precludes a serene and honest discussion on the part of the U.S. bishops on the topic of Eucharistic coherence.”
“Ultimately, it is a question of unity and love in the Body of Christ,” Bishop Conley continued. “The Eucharist is a sign of unity, and it calls all of us to live lives that are integrated; lives where our faith and our actions are consistent and coherent. The Eucharist is also a sign of love, the mission of love we share with Jesus for the salvation of the world.”
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