VATICAN CITY, OCT. 5, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The relationship between the Eucharist and public ethics continues to draw the attention of the Synod of Bishops, after the prefect of the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation posed the topic to the assembly.
The topic was taken up again by two cardinals in the session of free interventions, which took place Tuesday evening.
Cardinal Edmund Szoka, president of the Governorate of Vatican City, asked to speak on the issue, quoting No. 73 of the synod’s «instrumentum laboris,» or working document.
The text states that «some receive Communion while denying the teachings of the Church or supporting publicly immoral choices, such as abortion, without thinking that they are committing an act of serious personal dishonesty and causing scandal.»
«Moreover,» it adds, «there are Catholics who do not understand why it is a sin to support publicly a candidate who openly favors abortion or other serious acts against life, justice and peace.»
Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, also addressed the assembly. In addition to referring to the argument mentioned by Archbishop William Levada, new prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he presented Eucharistic life as a remedy for the many evils that beset the family today.
No more details
Beginning today, the spokesmen of the various language-groups will not give details on the synodal fathers’ addresses in the free session to avoid the debate being cut off before it is developed.
This is the reason no more details can be reported on the interventions of Cardinals Szoka and López Trujillo.
Isidro Catela, in charge of briefings to Spanish-speaking journalists, explained that it was a measure introduced by the synod’s General Secretariat to guarantee the Pope’s desire to introduce the novelty of a session of free interventions that favor open debate.
