Tuesday, October 11, 2005

General update 10/11/05

Bulletin of the Synod of Bishops for yesterday.

I skimmed through the VIS email (its contents haven't been posted yet at the site). The Eucharist almost exclusively was the topic yesterday afternoon and in today's morning session. Julian Cardinal Herranz, President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, addressed the 'right' to participation in the Eucharist. His comments from yesterday can be found here.

"Humanity has no right before God to receive the Eucharist, precisely because this is an act of infinite generosity and mercy. But once God has given the sacraments to the Church for the good of His people, all the faithful enjoy the following right formulated by ... canon 912: 'Any baptized person who is not forbidden by law may and must be admitted to Holy Communion.' ... We are dealing here with a fundamental right but not, as some think, an absolute one. There are, in fact, personal requirements limiting that right. The need of a state of grace to receive Holy Communion, which the people concerned must judge for themselves, also has certain external manifestations that make demands on Pastors. [...]

In other news, a new book, Revolution of God, has been published by the Vatican printing organ. It is a collection of the Holy Father's discourses during World Youth Day and includes his remarks during a general audience after which summed up the legacy of the event.

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