THIRTEENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT 11, 2005 (VIS) - This morning, in the presence of the Holy Father, the Thirteenth General Congregation of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops was held in the Vatican. There were 241 Synod Fathers present, and the president delegate on duty was Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez.

  Given below are excerpts from some of the speeches delivered this morning:

CARDINAL ANGELO SODANO, SECRETARY OF STATE. "All of the Eucharistic liturgy leads us to reinforcing the bonds of unity between us. For this reason, the prayer for the Pope is important, which is present in every Mass; the prayer for the bishop is important, pastor of the particular church where the Eucharist is celebrated; and the embrace of peace among those present is important, to heal any disunity that may exist in local communities. Yet there are often many divisions between us, the ministers of the Lord, in religious institutes, and in dioceses with different ethnic groups. The Eucharist is always an invitation to the unity of all the disciples of Christ; indeed, it is always an agent of unity, due to the unifying grace it communicates to us. However, a delicate problem is the attitude we must show towards our separated brothers who wish to participate in the Eucharist celebrated in our Holy Church. ... I would like to recall that, to favor unity with our separated brothers, we must not be divided ourselves. And a sure way to avoid division is faithfulness to the existing discipline of the Church. ... Paragraph 45 of the last Encyclical by the late Pope John Paul II 'Ecclesia de Eucharistia' recalls: 'While it is never legitimate to concelebrate in the absence of full communion, the same is not true with respect to the administration of the Eucharist under special circumstances, to individual persons belonging to Churches or ecclesial communities not in full communion with the Catholic Church. In this case, in fact, the intention is to meet a grave spiritual need for the eternal salvation of an individual believer, not to bring about an inter-communion which remains impossible until the visible bonds of ecclesial communion are fully re-established'."

BISHOP CZESLAW KOZON OF COPENHAGEN, DENMARK. "The countries of the Northern Episcopal Conference constitute a vast territory of the diaspora, with approximately 200,000 Catholics scattered over different nations, with a greater concentration in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. These countries are prevalently Lutheran, although largely and in differing degrees secularized. One of the main challenges is represented by the great geographical distances. Despite this, in the majority of parishes, celebrating the Eucharist every Sunday is possible, with a participation of about 20 - 30 percent of the faithful. Even if the number of priests is relatively high in relation to the number of believers, this is a minimum requirement, given the large distances. ... Most people have an authentic understanding of the Eucharist, however we must, through catechesis, place a more profound emphasis on the aspect of mystery and the sacrificial nature of Mass. Catholics in northern countries also face the challenge of uniting faith and life, so that participation in the Eucharist may lead them to a life of commitment in the Church and in society. The practice of Confession also leaves much to be desired. Nonetheless, hardly any serious liturgical abuses can be found. ... From an ecumenical point of view, despite a generally positive atmosphere, the Catholic Church has noticed an increase in incomprehension concerning the question of inter-communion. The Catholic point of view on this is considered backward by other Christians, and this opinion is unfortunately also shared by some Catholics. We would also like to recall the painful situation of the many divorced and remarried Catholics who cannot take part in communion."

ARCHBISHOP DIARMUID MARTIN OF DUBLIN, IRELAND. "In a society marked by increased secularisation there is need to give much greater place in our catechesis and in our parishes to formation in faith. In so many of our communities today we can no longer presume faith. The seed of faith needs nourishment, not just in the early years of the life of the Christian in the traditional catechesis of young people, but at every stage in life. The rapidity of social change means that faith formation of adults is more and more urgent to accompany them as they try, day by day and year by year, to live their Christian commitment in a changing world. The lay person imbued with Eucharistic spirit will be present in the realities of the secular world with a capacity to look towards the values that endure and to indicate the foundations of a hope which springs from a recognition of Eucharist as revelation and presence in our midst of God's gratuitous love for us in Jesus Christ who gave Himself up for us."

BISHOP EDWARD GABRIEL RISI O.M.I., OF KEIMOES-UPINGTON, SOUTH AFRICA. "In the conference area of Southern Africa we have discovered that the role of the small faith based community is essential in the preparation for and the celebration of the liturgy, and also the place where the gift of the Spirit is lived out. ... However, because of the shortage of priests, there are many communities who only celebrate Mass once a month, or once every two months. ... We notice that the most sacred part of the liturgy, the Eucharistic prayer, is the least attractive part of the Sunday liturgy. Although it is the central part of the Eucharist, the climax, it has proved to be the anti climax. The priest does it alone, and the laity move from active to passive participation. We would propose that there be some form of responsorial participation which allows the people to participate more actively than simply by a respectful silence. We are not proposing that the role of the celebrant be diminished but rather that the people be given a role by which they support the celebrant and enhance their participation."

BISHOP GABRIEL MBILINGI C.S.Sp., OF LWENA, ANGOLA. "More than five centuries have passed since the Gospel arrived in Angola. The country has a Christian majority. ... With such a high percentage of Christians, and in particular of Catholics, we must ask ourselves why did we experience so many years of civil war? The Masses in which so many Christians participated, what fruit have they brought? Why is the weight not felt of Catholics who occupy important positions in politics and in other social activities? These are legitimate though provocative questions. Insistence must be placed on the personal and ecclesial meaning of the Eucharist with reference to moral life, sanctity and mission in the world. From Eucharistic communion should arise a moral commitment that is a source of life to overcome sin, in the search for truth, rectitude of conscience and the testimony of the evangelical values that were thrown into darkness by the war. During catechesis, we must insist on the link between the Eucharist and the building of a just society, through everyone's personal responsibility to active participation in the Church's mission in the world."

BISHOP LEON MALY, AUXILIARY OF LVIV OF THE LATINS, UKRAINE. "We must seek an ever more profound participation in Mass. On this subject, it must be said that Vatican Council II, in the Constitution 'Sacrosanctum Concilium,' also suggested the same thing. Paragraph 55 of that document reads: 'That more perfect form of participation in the Mass whereby the faithful, after the priest's communion, receive the Lord's body from the same sacrifice, is strongly commended.' This is by no means a new suggestion, it was present also at the Council of Trent. ... Forty years after Vatican Council II, it would seem that this indication ... has not yet been fully understood. At times the host is not consecrated for the faithful, but taken from the tabernacle which is kept full of already-consecrated hosts. However, the Conciliar Fathers' suggestion contains a profound sign of the Church, her dimension as People of God, and of Christ's Mystical Body. The People of God are gathered around the altar, whence they receive the Body of Christ."
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