He then formulated the synods theme in the following manner: The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church, and, at the same time, established the dates of the synodal assembly, 2 - 23 October 2005. Instead, the priest should be assisted by lectors, acolytes, ministers and the laity in such a way that he can concentrate on the Sacred Mysteries he is celebrating, and thus communicate a spirit of peace and recollection to the entire assembly, gathered around the Lords Table. Human promotion, in many areas of social life, including health, humanitarian assistance and education, have always gone hand in hand with the Churchs proclamation of the Gospel and her gift of salvation in the Sacraments. The Eucharist is also the source of a culture of pardon, difficult for many today. dogm. In this regard, material could be composed by competent commissions of the episcopal conferences or synods of bishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris or other bodies specialized in the pastoral activity. Finally, fundamental importance needs to be given in catechesis to the bond between the Eucharist and the construction of a just society through each ones personal responsibility actively to participate in the Churchs mission in the world. This subject cannot be overlooked in the Churchs evangelizing mission in the world. Congregatio pro Clericis et Aliae , Instr. The Eucharist is a mystery of presence, the perfect fulfilment of Jesus' promise to remain with us until the end of the world.63, This citation confirms the teaching called for in various responses to the Lineamenta. The responses note that the people are not always consistent in the faith they profess in the Sacrament and the moral implications of the Sacrament in both personal matters as well as in the general cultural and social arena. 86. June 20, 2023 WASHINGTON - Earlier today, the Holy See's General Secretariat of the Synod issued the Instrumentum Laboris for the First Session of the 2021-2024 Synod: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission. From a pastoral point of view, instructing the faithful on the meaning of applying Masses for Dead is equally important. 95 Missale Romanum, Oratio collecta, XXX Dominica per annum. To enact it properly requires an awareness of the purely gratuitous nature of the redemptive act of God and the manner in which it is adequately understood and embraced by a person, as a fully responsible being in lifes personal and communal aspects, and reflected in human life and culture. Working to reestablish communion with our separated brothers and sisters, who do not share our faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, is an urgent, necessary task. Haurietis aquas (15 Maii 1956): AAS 48 (1956) 350-352; Paulus vi, Litt. The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has also shown his intention to continue the implementation of the Second Vatican Council and to follow faithfully the two-thousand-year-old tradition of the Church by stating in his first discourse, addressed through the College of Cardinals to the whole Church, that the Eucharist is the lasting centre and source of the Petrine service entrusted to him. 133 et sq. The Church is deeply grateful to priests who zealously hear confessions so the faithful can receive and encounter Christ in the Eucharist. Codex Iuris Canonici, can. cum. Certainly, thought needs to be given to the great disproportion between the many who receive Holy Communion and the few who go to confession. 81 Conc. Faith takes form in culture and a culture is also the result of faith. 71 Cf. 72 Cf. The term eikon has an historic sense, because it does not simply stand for what is represented. 132 Cf. Thanksgiving is therefore rendered to God through his sacrifice, though recalling his sacrifice, and through the presence of his sacrifice in the Body given up and in the Blood poured out. In a certain way, people want everything, but they have only what can be achieved with their limited, finite power. Basil recommends.43 Some Lineamenta responses raised the question of the timeliness of returning to the obligation of the three-hour Eucharistic fast. Ioannes Paulus II, Litt. We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence In desperate times, the Eucharist teaches a sure hope of a blessed eternity. Conc. Jn 14:9). For this reason, priests are said to be consecrated, as the bishops instruction before priestly ordination recalls: Your ministry will perfect the spiritual sacrifice of the faithful by uniting it to Christ's sacrifice, the sacrifice which is offered sacramentally through your hands. 16 Cf. The faithful who eat the Bread-Come-Down-From-Heaven feel a duty to contribute to building a more just world, where Gods will is done and each person is assured of our daily bread.. Rev 19:7-9). 1 Jn 2:19). Essentially, the liturgy is an integrating part of the lifelong journey in faith. Through the experience of episcopal collegiality, the synod is to consider the promptings of the Holy Spirit in the Church today and see how the Eucharist might truly become the source and summit of her life and mission, namely, of the new evangelization, which the world greatly needs. Death and its fore-warnings of disease and suffering show how limited a persons freedom of choice is. Collegiality in the Catholic Church Copyright 2017-2023 Dicasterium pro Communicatione - All rights reserved. Sacra Congregatio de Disciplina Sacramentorum, Decr. Ecclesia in America (22 Ianuarii 1999), 70: AAS 91 (1999) 805-806; Adhort. 70 Cf. ii, Decr. The responses consistently ask for greater times and spaces dedicated to adoration and meditation. The metaphor of the vine and the branches in St. Johns Gospel, occurring during the Last Supper discourse, has not only an ecclesial but a moral significance. Also requested is a re-presentation of the theological and spiritual basis for adoration as a due preparation for Holy Mass, as a proper disposition in celebrating the sacred mysteries and as a thanksgiving for the gift of the Eucharist. Instimabile donum, (3 Aprilis 1980), 17: AAS 72 (1980) 338. All these negative realities, occurring more often in the Latin Liturgy than the Liturgies of the Eastern Churches, should not lead to great alarm, since they seem to be limited. An hour of adoration between Masses could be introduced in parishes having many scheduled Masses, for example, afternoon Masses in certain city parishes. After listening to the Word, faith is professed in the Eucharistic mystery, the revelation and gift of God himself in Jesus Christ, which spurs Christians to give wholly and entirely of themselves. Greater effort is needed in providing the opportunity for individual confessions. Using the above phrase, the priest-presider at the Eucharist, proclaims, in a spirit of awe, the Churchs faith in the risen Lord, really present under the elements of bread and wine, which have been changed by the power of the Holy Spirit into his Body and Blood. Nikola Eterovi Tit. In this way, they complete what is lacking in the passion of Jesus Christ for the sake of his body, the Church (cf. Her awareness became more evident in her participation in the paschal mystery, when her Son entrusted all the faithful to her in the person of the Apostle John, with the words Woman, behold your Son (Jn 19:26). In applying this method to the synod topic, we are to see if the law of prayer corresponds to the law of faith. Ap. Vat. Finally, Sunday observance by Catholics becomes a distinctive sign, particularly in countries where Catholics are in the minority. Mane nobiscum Domine (7 Octobris 2004), 20: LOsservatore Romano: Weekly Edition in English (13 Octobris 2004), Supplement, III. 123 Cf. Ioannes Paulus ii, Litt. Competent Church authorities are called upon to offer major clarity in this matter, so as to avoid confusion. The responses raise the concern that oftentimes the Church building is used for profane events, such as concerts and theatrical events which are not always religious in nature. Both are contained in the Instrumentum laboris. cum. Reaching such a goal requires the grace of God, the believers good dispositions and an ongoing catechesis for persons of every kind. The epiclesis, which takes place after the consecration in the Eastern liturgy, emphasizes the bond between the Eucharist and the mystery of Pentecost, the outpouring of the Spirit on the assembled community. Sundays provide an opportunity to view the world in light of the Eucharist. ad Catholicae Ecclesiae episcopos de aliquibus aspectibus Ecclesiae prout est communio Communionis Notio (28 Maii 1992), 14: AAS 85 (1993) 846-847. 19 Ioannes Paulus ii, Adhort. 51. Many mention that the idea of participation is often limited to its exterior aspects. The Synod on Synodality is good news for all the baptized, and in particular, it is good news for women. The relation of the Eucharist to Penance in todays society greatly depends on both a sense of sin and a sense of the sacred. For this reason, access to the Eucharistwhich presupposes faithcan only come about through Baptism. 15 Missale Romanum, Oratio post Communionem, I Dominica Adventus. Catechismus Catholic Ecclesi, 1356 et sq. XLVIII Conventus Eucharisticus Internationalis, 10-17 Octobris 2004: Eucharistia, Lux et Vita Novi Millennii, Memoria, Guadalaiara, Mexicum, 2004. Many Lineamenta responses, therefore, rightly request promoting a renewal of the missionary task inherent in the celebration of the Eucharist. Remembering the heavenly liturgy is not a matter of separating it from the earthly liturgy, but of simply taking from the heavenly liturgy its pilgrim and eschatological features. For the occasion, Pope John Paul II said: I would like the young people to gather around the Eucharist as the vital source which nourishes their faith and enthusiasm.101 Consequently, it is rightly suggested that Catholic schools give greater importance to teaching the faith, particularly Eucharistic spirituality, to the younger generations. Conc. In places of true catechetical and liturgical formation, the faithful clearly perceive the difference between Mass and other liturgical celebrations and devotional practices; they devoutly participate in all Eucharistic initiatives proposed by their pastors. Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei, Litt. Ecclesia de Eucharistia (17 Aprilis 2003), 1: AAS 95 (2003) 433. 108 Cf. Ioannes Paulus ii, Litt. The Close Bond Between the Eucharist and Penance, 22. 41 Cf. 100 Cf. The Lord wants us to draw near to him so that he can reveal to us the mystery of his divine life. de presbyterorum ministerio et vita Presbyterorum Ordinis, 5. 58. Just as sharing an ordinary meal presupposes good relations, so the Eucharist is the Sacrament of those reconciled. Various responses to the Lineamenta recommend that singing at Mass and Eucharistic Adoration be done in a dignified manner. He is not outside the human condition; he has brought the truth of creation to fulfilment, because he worked with human hands, he thought with a human mind, acted by human choice and loved with a human heart.51 Pope John Paul II has taken this text from his first encyclical Redemptor hominis52 and practically made it the Churchs manifesto in the new millennium, in which she is called to draw on the truth concerning Christ and the truth concerning humanity and its dignity, as found in the Gospel. The responses to the Lineamenta agree that the faithful need assistance in understanding the nature of the Eucharist and its connection to the incarnation of the Word, in addition to their seeing that their participation in the Eucharistic mystery is primarily an interior gift of themselves in heart and mind, before ever being an exterior act. During the Eucharistic celebration the request is often made for forgiveness and a life renewed. Ecclesia de Eucharistia (17 Aprilis 2003), 45: AAS 95 (2003) 462-463. Indeed, the Sacrament is also the anticipation of the ultimate, eternal reality as the Church journeys in pilgrimage towards the house of the heavenly Father. In rural areas, the scarcity of clergy in parishes has resulted in the celebration of Mass at certain times each month or even each year. This document comes after the first two stages of the 2021-2024 Synod, the first consisting of local listening sessions held across the world followed by discernment from local bishops conferences; and a second stage where continental groupings of episcopal conferences conducted discussion and reflection that concluded with the production of seven continental reports that were submitted to the Holy See in March of 2023. 38 S. Csarius Arelatensis, Sermo 229 De natale templi, 3: CCL 104, 907. More information regarding the 2021-2024 Synod, including the U.S. National Synthesis and North American Final Document, is available at usccb.org/synod. For this reason, the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia speaks of the causal influence of the Eucharistat its very origins,22 and the intimate bond linking one to the other.23 Bearing this in mind, one can better understand that the celebration of the Eucharist, however, cannot be the starting-point for communion; it presupposes that communion already exists, a communion which it seeks to consolidate and bring to perfection. Ecclesia de Eucharistia (17 Aprilis 2003), 36: AAS 95 (2003) 458. The person of the bishop, the primary mystagogue in relation to the Eucharist, immediately comes to mind. The fact and mystery of the incarnation, fulfilled in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, allows each person to participate in the divine life which is present in the Eucharist, the Bread of Eternal Life, because it has the power to overcome death. Despite various kinds of difficulties and contradictions, the world, in this year of the Lord 2005, aspires to happiness and desires the bread of life for soul and body. 37. 111 Cf. 37 Cf. The Instrumentum Laboris will form the basis for the discernment and discussion for the participants of the first session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to be held in October 2023 in the Vatican. Post-syn. Ecclesia in Africa, (14 Septembris 1995), 63: AAS 88 (1996) 39-40. Faith and love, together with hope, are the basis of Christian identity. The People of God, gathered in the Lords House, give thanks and praise through speaking, listening, singing and moments of silence. A treatment of this subject needs to bear in mind the teaching of the Council of Trent which states that the sacraments contain the grace they signify, and confer that grace in their celebration.28 All sacraments, ecclesiastical ministers and apostolic works are intimately bound to the Sacred Eucharist and are ordered to it.29 Therefore, the Sacrament of the Eucharist is the perfection of all perfections.30. Ecclesia de Eucharistia (17 Aprilis 2003), 10: AAS 95 (2003) 439. Post-syn. The Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod approves the 'Instrumentum laboris' (working document) for the first session of the Synod on Synodality, as well as the methodology of the Assembly. By Christopher Wells Its connection with the Sacrament of Penance is not always understood, e.g., the necessity of being in the state of grace before receiving Holy Communion. Many Lineamenta responses refer to the rapport between the Eucharist and Reconciliation. 87. The Sacrament manifests the primacy of the grace of God, who is always at the origin of everything, and his gift of the Holy Spirit, who makes us participate in his mysterious action in the Sacrament by changing the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus as well as making us holy. In this way, the domestic churchthe familybroadens its Christian horizons and, in communion with other familiesother domestic churchesrediscovers that it is a living part of the great Family of God, the Catholic Church. The Lineamenta responses indicate a general need to examine thoroughly the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist and a hope that this truth of our faith be presented with greater clarity, according to the recent Magisterium of the Church. However, this does not mean that everything in the Church can be drawn from the Eucharist. For the benefit of these people, some responses think it opportune to utilize the means of social communication in broadcasting Holy Mass and other liturgical celebrations. By making himself truly one of us and being united in a certain way with every man,50 our Lord gives the full meaning of existence to all who desire it. In every instance, the process of liturgical inculturation needs to respect the norms of the Churchs official documents, which offer timely pastoral directives. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup,you proclaim the Lords death until he comes (1 Cor 11:26). 13 Cf. The Instrumentum Laboris consists of two main sections that will guide the discernment of those present at the first session of the Synod in October 2023: a reflection on the experience of a synodal Church thus far; and the articulation of three main priorities for a synodal Church. The prime purpose of the Instrumentum laboris is to provide the synod fathers with their working document and reference point in further discussion on the Eucharist, which, as the heart of the Church, spurs her on in communion to a renewed missionary dynamism. Furthermore, without the Sacrament of Orders, there can be no valid and lawful celebration of the Eucharist. Worship can no longer be something learned by rote (Is 29:13). The responses to the Lineamenta have shown that the Eucharist needs to be considered under the two aspects of fons and culmen in the Church. In this regard, Eucharistic devotion in parish and non-parish Churches is said to be increasing, as witnessed in time dedicated to Eucharistic adoration and the institution of special chapels for this purpose. Many responses to the Lineamenta insist on the relation of the personal and ecclesial aspects of the Eucharist to the moral life, holiness and ones mission in the world. 88. From the very beginning, the Church has drawn her life from the Eucharist. In determined circumstances, the faithful have the right to receive a sacrament individually. 9 Notiti a F.A.O. Indeed, the Eucharistic mysterysacrifice, memorial and banquetprovides the Church, in every aspect of her life, with an inexhaustible spring of grace for celebrating the sacramental re-presentation of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, for living the personal encounter with the Lord, for constructing ecclesial communion on the solid foundation of love and for foretasting the glory yet to come of the Wedding of the Lamb. de Sacramentis, Sessio VII (3 Martii 1547), can 6, can 8: DS (1973), 1606 et 1608. 73 A. Haggi - I. Pahl, Prex eucharistica. 61. This is what concerns Christians who live in a secularized world, where the majority of those distant from God are in continuous spiritual travail in their search for him, though he is never far from them. Mysterium fidei (3 Septembris 1965), 2: AAS 57 (1965), 753. In fact, if a supper is intended in using the second term, the notion of sacrifice would be included, since it would denote the Supper of the Lamb who was slain. If the celebration of the Eucharist is truly to express the Catholic faith, people urge that the priest-celebrant of the Mass possess humility. This attitude is surprising, since it makes no sense not to belong to a Church community and, at the same time, to want to receive the Eucharist, which is a sign of belonging to that community, or not to accept the Pastors and the doctrine of the Church and, at the same time, to want to take part in the sacraments celebrated by them. The meaning of the Eucharist is entirely explained in Jesus words: Do this in remembrance of me (Lk 22:19). Therefore, episcopal conferences and other competent bodies should judge if introducing elements from the peoples customs into the liturgy, as a living part of their culture, can enrich the liturgical action without causing adverse effects to the faith and the piety of the faithful. The God who gives himself to us, and is with us, is not only a gift and mystery of ineffable richness but also a gift and mystery continually to be rediscovered. Pope John Paul II was the first to use this phrase and explain its meaning. In todays so-called globalized world, lacking in solidarity, conditioned by an increasingly sophisticated technology and marked by international terrorism and other forms of violence and exploitation, the Eucharist maintains its timeless message, which is necessary in constructing a society where communion, solidarity, freedom, respect for the person, hope and trust in God prevail. If the Eucharist builds up the Church, because of the presence of the living Christ in the Sacrament, Jesus willed the Church beforehand to celebrate the Eucharist. Quam singulari (8 Augusti 1910), 3: AAS 2 (1910) 582. Precise canonical norms and clear Church teaching exist in the matter. On matters of local governance, one bishop cannot tell another bishop how to run his diocese. Jesus Christ offers a concrete sign of this hope in willing his Church as his Mystical Body. The entire People of God shares a common dignity and vocation through Baptism. But in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Enc. In the past, this question received treatment in the Decree Quam singulari, which allowed children to receive the Eucharist as early as 7 years oldconsidered to be the age of reasonwhen they can distinguish the Eucharistic bread from ordinary bread. This shows how religion is connected to culture, a complex of what humanity creates of the good and meaningful. Conc. Ecclesia in Europa (28 Iunii 2003), 58-60: AAS 95 (2003) 685-686. Discerning Deacons. They also proclaim the Gospel of Suffering,99 which the Master gave to the disciples in his sacrifice and left as a memorial in the Eucharist. Conc. Released on Tuesday morning, the document - known as the Instrumentum laboris - will be the basis for the work of the participants in the General Assembly of the Synod on Synodality, which begins in the Vatican in October 2023 and concludes with a second Assembly one year later. What is necessary in the process is never to forget the goal of the Churchs mission, namely, the evangelization of all peoples in their cultural settings. The responses show that in the particular Churches of the Latin rite the celebration of the sacraments during Mass takes place in various ways according to local customs from country to country. 117 Benedictus XVI, Homilia (24 Aprilis 2005): LOsservatore Romano: Weekly Edition in English (27 Aprilis), 9. For example, many new Churchesnot to mention older ones after renovationare built on the fundamental architectural plan of bringing the faithful into close proximity to the altar to ensure visual contact and communication between the celebrant and the assembly. 124 Cf. Various Lineamenta responses ask for pastoral initiatives which will lead to a greater attendance of the faithful at Mass, particularly on Sundays. In fact, what sense would proclaiming the Gospel have, if not to bring everyone to communion with Christ and others? This spirit of prayer can be created not only by the celebrants awareness of the great mystery he is to accomplish, but also his use of certain signs, like incense which is a symbol of prayer rising to God. 57. ii, Decr. They are to consider well the various choices made in political and social areas, so that their life does not contradict the basic norms of the Gospel, which underlie the Churchs social teaching. Many excellent examples of inculturation could be cited. The Eucharist as gift and mystery is not always perceived. The Lineamenta responses lament a certain separation of the pastoral life from the Eucharist. Ecclesia de Eucharistia (17 Aprilis 2003), 58: AAS 95 (2003) 472. Safeguarding the Sacraments sacred character basically depends on being aware that the Eucharist is a mystery and gift, whose remembrance requires signs and words corresponding to its nature as a sacrament. Some express a certain appreciation for inculturated liturgies which permit increased participation. In this way, he teaches that the Church must always take a hard look at herself, if she is to speak faithfully about herself with those involved in dialogue, without losing her proper identity as the universal sacrament of salvation. Citing St. Irenaeus, The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: The Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking.53 In this statement, how can one not see Gods covenant in action, the very place where the individual is to live his faith commitment? de Sacra Liturgia Sacrosanctum concilium, 26 et 47; Codex Iuris Canonici, can. In other responses some lamented the poor quality of translations of liturgical texts and many musical texts in current languages, maintaining that they lacked beauty and were sometimes theologically unclear, thereby contributing to a weakening of Church teaching and to a misunderstanding of prayer. Ioannes Paulus ii, Litt. Instead, in those countries experiencing wars and other difficulties, many understand the Eucharistic mystery more fully, that is, including its sacrificial aspect. Enc. Those in the consecrated life are strengthened in the Eucharist to live the ideal of the Christian life through their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. The faithful ought to rediscover the Eucharist as the dynamic force of reconciliation and peace with God and others. Synodality became the theme of the Synod on synodality (started in Rome in October 2021). It should be pointed out that America (especially North America) has 65% of the permanent deacons worldwide, with Europe having 32%. Analogously, this is also true in her presence as well as her concern and intercession at Cana, when the Son worked his first sign in which he made an offering of himself through a miracle. The pontificate of Pope John Paul II enriched the Catholic Church with important documents on the Sacrament of the Eucharist, such as The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia and the Apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine. dogm. 4. Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, (20 Aprilis 2000), 82. The Lineamenta made reference to the role of art. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Peace, realized after our celebration of the Sacrament of Penance which reconciles us to God and our neighbour. The synods topic can be developed properly by bearing the aforementioned in mind and remembering that for the Apostles and Church Fathersconsider St. Justin alone13the Eucharist is the holiest action the Church can perform. To be true and authentic, a portrait had faithfully to portray the very features of a face of someone who had actually lived. Bishops are always engaged in taking into account the doctrinal and pastoral aspects of the Eucharist in the normal exercise of their triple office as bishopto teach, to shepherd and to sanctify the People of God. It is the Great Prayer. The Churchs evangelizing mission has its ultimate goal in the union on earth of all people in Christ, ever-present in the Eucharistic mystery, in anticipation of the definitive union of humanity at the Eternal Banquet in heaven. Post-syn. 14. 27 Cf. These songs, known and sung by the people, promote recollection and assist the faithful to live in a particularly spiritual way the celebrations of the mystery of faith in each liturgical season. Rm 6:1-11). 75. 68. Some feel that her teachings need to be re-assessed by each individual conscience. Christians of the Eastern Traditions in turn rediscover the notable theological and spiritual patrimony of the Latin tradition. The relation of the Sacraments to the Eucharist does not only concern their liturgical celebration but is based primarily on the essential nature of each sacrament. This aspect of the Eucharist is not always understood, thereby creating conflicting attitudes which become a source of contradiction and scandal between persons and communities. Consequently, Christians ought to witness to the missionary aspect of the Eucharist, which makes them spontaneously proclaim to the world and others the wonders of God-Made-Man, present under the signs of bread and wine, who, in communion, enters their life to bring about a change. Many pastors, however, following the teachings of the Church in the matter, are offering encouraging signs through their efforts, in a spirit of concern and charity, to bring about the ecclesial unity desired, while not overlooking the fact that the Eucharist is the ultimate goal in the ecumenical process aimed at seeking unity in faith. Only in this context can there be a legitimate celebration of the Eucharist and true participation in it.24 In this Eucharistic ecclesiology, the Eucharist always remains the source and summit of ecclesial life. 180-182. 58 Cf. 388, 1; 429; 534; 543, 2; 549; 901; Cf. It is a Church that is not afraid of the variety it bears, but on the contrary, values it without forcing it into uniformity. The Church is synodal when it is unceasingly nourished by the mystery it celebrates in the liturgy, during which it experiences everyday radical unity in the same prayer, in the midst of a diversity of languages and rites.