Moved by shocking poll numbers, Bishop Barber Of Oakland schedules Eucharistic Congress
Fewer than 1/3 of Catholics say they believe in Real Presence
Fewer than one-third of Catholics believe the Eucharist is the actual
Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the Pew Research Center found in a
recent poll. The majority of America’s self-identified Catholics – 69
percent, according to the poll – are either ignorant or simply mistaken
about what the Catholic Church teaches on the Eucharist.“As bishop of the diocese of Oakland, I find this shocking,” the Most Rev. Michael Barber, SJ, wrote in a letter to the faithful.
As part of the bishop’s response to the findings, he has called for a diocesan-wide Eucharistic Congress on June 19-20 at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland.
“With the theme ‘Stay with us, Lord!’ (Lk 24:29), I invite all the faithful of our diocese to reflect upon the centrality of the Eucharist in our lives, and to reaffirm our call to be a people nourished, fed and molded by the Eucharist itself — just as the disciples were on the road to Emmaus,” Bishop Barber wrote.
5 comments:
During Lent, some years I heard of a series of lectures being offered at the FSSP parish. The priest that offered the series began with a discussion of the Real Presence. He was joyous, intelligent, reverent. At that moment I knew that I would move my family to that parish. The priest was a guest speaker and although I never saw him again every priest the Fraternity has sent us had the same qualities. Some are more intelligent, some better speakers, but each show a confident love of God, His Holy Church, and our parishioners.
Father, there you go again making practical decisions based on root causes, while what is clearly needed is a committee with own steering committee, break out sessions, consensus decision, and an official one-time-only official diocese function to demonstrate we are doing something about the problem.
I do not think what you propose about attitudes / beliefs of EF attending Catholics is news to Bishop Barber. Bishop Barber is a supporter of the TLM and has personally performed EF Confirmations.
Fr AJM
An instituted acolyte is de facto an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and moreover may assist the priest and deacon in purifying the sacred vessels. However, the instituted lay ministries of lector and acolyte are rarely conferred as permanent, whatever Paul VI might have originally intended. They are, of course reserved to men. It would be a good way of getting women out of the sanctuary, but how many dioceses and parishes would run with it?
Kneeling at the rail to receive Communion would in practice mean not offering the Chalice to the laity. Again, a welcome return to traditional practice, but will it fly?
"Again, a welcome return to traditional practice."
Not offering the chalice to the laity?
Uh, no,,,not a welcome "tradition" As for kneeling for communion, standing is better given my knees. In the Episcopal Church, often there is the option of standing or kneeling---why not that?
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