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Appeal to the Synod of Bishops on Eucharist 04-OCT-05
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As members of "We Are Church" we have always tried to strongly live the
centrality of Eucharist in the life of our Christian community. We joyfully
greeted the decision of John Paul II and the confirmation by Benedict XVI, to
the summons of a synod of bishops dedicated to the Eucharist. Moreover, we
studied the official texts related to this topic: first, the encyclical
Ecclesia de Eucharistia, then the Lineamenta and the Instrumentum laboris
issued preliminary to the Synod.
From this standpoint we express our disappointment about the doctrinal rigidity
and lack of pastoral discretion incorporated in the promulgated texts. The
prevailing line of thought points to an emphasis upon form and order (along the
lines of the Council of Trent rather than Vatican II) rather than to knowing,
understanding and encouraging. We are perplexed and greatly disappointed by the
documents and fear the possibility that a great opportunity will be squandered.
The Instrumentum laboris itself, while taking note of the shortage of priests
and of embarassements and troubles, which greatly affects the community life of
the world¹s Catholics, tends to point toward already prescribed nostrums and
ritual concerning the celebration of Eucharist. We also are bound in conscience
to complain that the observations we sent to Rome, at the express invitation of
the Secretariat of the Synod, were not considered, despite the statement
contained in the preface of the Vatican document, which claims to have drawn a
"faithful summary of the information which arrived".
Our Church‹despite the issuance of many influential documents, Eucharistic
conferences, meetings and consideration at every level in the whole world‹once
again runs the risk of remaining at the starting gate. Yes, surely there is a
larger devotion to the Eucharist, but the documents so far fail to disclose how
the Eucharist truly can become the central moment in the life of Christian
communities and a locus for further evangelization.
Now the Synod begins. We hope this great opportunity will not be lost. Thus,
with broken hearts we ask the Synodal fathers that they not regard this as just
as a solemn, perhaps emphatic, confirmation of a foregone conclusion. Even if
most people consider the present Synod of Bishops unable to do so, those of you
who participate in it should seize this opportunity to express your
determination to face facts, with your hearts and minds well- embedded in the
Gospel.
To this end we‹speaking from the base of God¹s people and in tune with many of
their expectations, and aware of the objective needs of the Roman Catholic
Church‹hereby summarize our chief concerns.
Sacrifice or
Christ's Memory, Which Creates Community and Needs Testimony?
Insisting - as the Instrumentum laboris does - upon the "Sacrifice of the
Cross", "Sacrifice of the Altar" or "Sacrifice of the
Mass" actually conveys to many believers the concept of a hurt, angry God,
who requires reparations for offenses committed against him. In order to
placate God¹s wrath, God desires Jesus' death on the cross.
In concert with many theologians, we think this "sacrificial" idea
should be abandoned. The Eucharistic celebration should instead be presented ‹
as suggested by a careful interpretation of Scripture ‹ as done in memory of
the whole of Jesus' life, a life offered as a gift for all people to the end of
time, a life marked by welcoming sinners and preaching of God¹s Kingdom, a life
ended by a crucifixion that was plotted and executed by political and religious
powers; a life that is, finally, mysteriously crowned by the Father, who has
raised from the dead his faithful Son.
The Eucharistic celebration, moreover, dramatically reminds us of the apostles¹
abandonment of Jesus (John excluded) and, above all, the betrayal he suffered
first from Judas and then, Peter; a betrayal repeated in our history and in the
present, and which should then recommend not triumphalist tones but greater
humility on our part.
We desire moreover that the Synod underline as key points of Eucharist:
convivial life, fellowship, meditation on the Word, announcement of salvation
which comes from God, sharing of Christ¹s body broken for us in the broken
bread, and, consistent with that, committing ourselves to justice in the world.
We equally hope that, while professing the mystery of Eucharist and believing
the risen Christ is truly present in it, there should be full freedom in
philosophical and theological discussions of this mystery, precisely because
Scriptures do not explain the "way" of this "presence".
This convergence in claiming the "presence" and maintaining freedom
in the explanation of its possible "how" is what was envisaged by the
ecumenical agreement achieved in Lima in 1981 in the document "Baptism,
Eucharist, Ministries", which was also signed by Catholic theologians.
The contrary persistence of insisting upon ³transubstantiation" dogma to
explain Christ's presence in the Eucharist, as Instrumentum laboris does,
triggers and strengthens a magical, materialistic, and legalistic mentality, in
which Jesus is seen descending on the altar at the time the priest pronounces
the words "This is my body, this is my blood...". That happens at the
expense of the invocation of the Holy Spirit, of other holy moments of
Eucharist and, obviously, of "convivial" or communal facets.
Furthermore, we are more than puzzled by every form of devotion, which is usual
in the Eucharistic cult (for example, Eucharistic adoration, processions, etc.)
in which the sacralization of Eucharist has a plain role, making an idol of the
Eucharist. Many theologians and ministers share this discomfort, but
Instrumentum laboris ignores this sensibility.
Banquet and Assembly or Hierarchical and Sacralized Rite?
Eucharist does really exist if there's a true community that is gathered in
Christ's name, if it does not exclude, if it proposes brotherhood and
sisterhood among those who take part to it, and if it entails testimony in life
for peace and justice.
Ritually "true" Eucharistic celebrations can be spiritually
"false" (let us remember Paul's words to the Corinthians). Therefore
we can claim‹if we accept today¹s official position about the primacy of
Eucharist (sacrament of Order, imposition of hands, Apostolic succession)‹that
our Church can hardly ignore Karl Rahner's words:
"This
right (to God's word and sacraments, CIC § 213) is a divine right since it
enrolls in the nature of the Eucharist itself, and in case of conflict, it
overcomes the rightful solicitude of Church for a celibate clergy for the care
of souls."
We then think that because of the lack of priests caused by the law of celibacy
presently in force, of necessity we shall resort to the care of married priests
and viri probati, and women presiders. The exclusion of women is based upon
untenable grounds from every viewpoint‹on biblical, historical, ecumenical and
most recent theological studies, as the practice of some Christian churches
have emphasized.
Besides the primacy of the Eucharist, one question unavoidably stands out: Why
should we delay again because of a misunderstood sense of respect towards
tradition, decisions which already are pressing but which our Church, under the
inspiration of the Spirit¹s call, cannot avoid in the not distant future?
In addition to the primacy of the Eucharist, we see the contradictions of
exclusions in the Eucharistic assembly. These exclusions, which are enforced by
the hierarchy, are less and less understood. We refer above all to a piercing
contradiction: Those official documents that stress that divorced and or
remarried people are fully a part of the Church community, but deny them
Eucharistic fellowship. During the first centuries of the Church, our practice
was truly different, as the current practices of the Orthodox Churches attest.
Moreover the community must take again possession of meditation on God's Word,
which cannot be exclusively a priestly duty. This is already done quite widely,
despite prohibitions, but it should become a general practice. Properly carried
out, it would enhance both the priest¹s meditations and those of the comunity.
Why did the Instrumentum laboris not investigate this key part of Eucharist?
Individual members and the entire Eucharistic assembly should have the right to
share with the community‹even through a prearranged approach‹their own
sufferings, joys, their everyday life, their aims, doubts, and anxieties. Thus,
all, including children, will comprehend the symbols and signs.
In short, every Eucharistic celebration should be "bathed" in time
and space and should not be strictly codified in every slightest detail;
diocesan authorities, individual priests and communities should thus be kept
free to make the Eucharist more shared and abounding. In a word, the
Eucharistic assembly should be an opportunity to "love one to another,
since by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples" (John 13:35),
to "admonish one another" (Rom. 15:14) and to "salute one
another with an holy kiss" (Rom. 16:16).
Eucharistic
hospitality as base of oecumenical road or as an ostacle ?
The movement toward ecumenism, which had taken steps forward after Vatican
Council II, has stopped. One of key hindrances depends on the
"impossibility" of celebrating together the Eucharist (i.e.,
intercommunion). The official Catholic position claims that the celebration of
Eucharist will be possible only after we have reached a consensus about doctrinal
and church questions. We believe that ecumenical Eucharistic celebrations can
help build Christian bonds, despite unresolved confessional divergences.
Such celebrations do not affect Jesus' admonition that believers "do this
in remembrance of me."
Why can we not carry out straightaway at least Eucharistic hospitality, as a
fortifying medication that will at last drive our Churches to admit one another
and to meet? In the end, it is not the churches that call the faithful to
Eucharist, but Christ himself who invites us His table. He has come to heal the
sick, not the healthy, and to call to the feast the maimed and the lame. He
calls all Christian people and Churches to His table giving on only two
conditions: our awareness of being sinners, and our wish to be faithful to his
will. Why then should the Church impose conditions for celebrating Eucharist
that Jesus himself did not lay down?
We are not alone in wanting to go this way. In 2003 the ecumenical institutes
of Bensheim, Strasburg, and Tubingen cited reasons for which mutual Eucharistic
hospitality (between Catholics and Lutherans, for example) are theologically
sound and, in many cases, pastorally required, notwithstanding differences in
theological comprehension and in church practices.
Does Our
Eucharist Share in Jesus' Liberating Perspective?
We think fundamental to verifying the actual consistency of the high number of
Eucharistic assemblies that are given every week throughout the world, should
be consideration of whether they try to bring to completion the history of
salvation, through reversal of "world" rules. The world envisages feasts for the
wealthy, while the poor must be satisfied with leftovers (Lk. 16:19-31). We
Catholics, at the beginning of the third millennium, cannot but wonder whether
and how much ³slaves and mastersŠmale and female² join in the Eucharistic
assembly as equals. Do we celebrate with Mary, in the song of Magnificat, the
feast of the poor and hopeless? Do we welcome the loving presence of a God who
helps to change our pyramid of powers to build a new domestic, social,
economical and political order, based on nonviolence, on trusting dialogue with
our enemy, and on our forbearance despite provocation?
On this we agree with the Apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine, in which Pope
Wojtyla proclaimed the Year of the Eucharist. This text, at paragraph 28, lists
the many lacks of our world that "diocesan and parish communities"
should try to mitigate:
"The
tragedy of hunger which plagues hundreds of millions of human beings, the
diseases which afflict developing countries, the loneliness of the elderly, the
hardships faced by the unemployed, the struggles of immigrants. These are evils
that are present‹albeit to different degrees‹even in areas of immense wealth.
We cannot delude ourselves. It is only by our mutual love and, in particular,
by our concern for those in need that we will be recognized as true followers
of Christ (cf. Jn. 13:35; Mt. 25:31-46). This will be the criterion by which
the authenticity of our Eucharistic celebrations is ³judged.²
International Movement We Are Church-IMWAC
Rome, October 4th, 2005
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