VATICAN CITY — This October is Synod Month in Rome: From Oct. 2-23, 250 bishops and clergy from around the world will participate in a three-week meeting to address how to keep the Eucharist at the center of the life of the Church.

The 11th Synod of Bishops, themed The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church, will address a number of areas of particular concern: neglect of Sunday Mass, a weakening of the sense of mystery that in turn leads to liturgical abuses, and a lack of preparation before receiving holy Communion.

By dealing with these issues, the bishops hope to better equip the Church to teach Catholics about the centrality of the Eucharist to their faith.

Addressing pilgrims Sept. 4, Pope Benedict XVI said the meeting — convened by Pope John Paul II in 2004 to conclude the Year of the Eucharist — would highlight the importance of the Eucharist as “the true treasure of the Church.”

“I'm afraid in some countries there's been some diminishing of the real presence of the Eucharist,” Cardinal Edmund Szoka told the Register Sept. 14. “Some think it's just a symbol or reminder of Christ, but this is Christ, his real body and blood, it's the whole Christ that is there.”

The American cardinal, who is president of the office governing Vatican City State, was recently appointed by Pope Benedict, along with 34 other bishops and cardinals (including four Chinese bishops), to participate in the meeting.

Sense of Mystery

The issues before the participating bishops are clearly spelled out in the synod's Instrumentum Laboris, the working document issued in July. The document asserts that “intensive catechesis” to participate in Sunday Mass “needs to be encouraged,” and it recommends “people ought clearly to be taught” that the mystery of the Eucharist “depends on a liturgical celebration which is done with dignity, due preparation and, above all, faith in the mystery itself.”

Drawing on passages from John Paul II's 2003 encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia, the 2004 Vatican instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum and John Paul II's 2004 apostolic letter Mane Vobiscum Domine, the working document cites “an increasingly secularized society” as the main culprit for the erosion of the sense of mystery among Catholics. The weakening of that understanding, it says, “can threaten faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.”

There is broad agreement among synodal participants this deficiency needs to be tackled head-on.

“It has to be cleared up, people need to realize why this is so important,” said one consultant speaking on condition of anonymity. “Even some bishops don't always see why there is a problem here.”

Along with problems with the Eucharist itself, a related concern Cardinal Szoka expressed regarding another sacrament was the failure of many communicants to receive absolution beforehand.

“You see lots of people receiving holy Communion but not going to confession,” the cardinal noted. “We have to explain the conditions for receiving holy Communion worthily, that they have to have the faith and be in a state of grace.”

Courtesy of another synodal document, known as a lineamenta, synod participants have a solid picture of the problems surrounding the Eucharist in different dioceses. The detailed questionnaire traditionally circulated a year or so before a synod, collated a broad range of observations and reactions regarding the topic under discussion.

From the responses received, it is apparent that the Eucharist as “gift and mystery” is not accurately perceived in many countries, especially wealthy ones. The problem is particularly acute in countries like the United States and Germany where Catholics are a large minority in a predominantly Protestant culture, resulting in exposure to a wide variety of other-denominational influences.

For some Vatican officials, the hope is that laws and regulations surrounding the Eucharist stated in recent documents will be “tightened down” in areas such as the liturgy and inter-communion in the context of ecumenical dialogue. They would like to clear up confusion over what it means to be in full communion with the Church — a requirement before a Christian can receive the Eucharist — and reach a consensus on the touch issue of how to deal with pro-abortion politicians receiving holy Communion.

“Matters need to be taken in hand,” said one official. “It's not the synod's role, but it could serve to bring these matters to the fore.”

Back to Basics

Most participants, however, will keep their focus on how Eucharist worship and devotion can be “re-launched,” rather than stressing selected abuses or seeking to make doctrinal contributions. Existing Church documents, they believe, are sufficiently clear on how the Eucharist should be celebrated and administered.

The intention is to find means to promote is a return to appropriate Christian practices and to communicate the Church's teachings more effectively. “If they can manage that,” said the consultant, “it would be an incredible fruit of their discussions.”

Cardinal Szoka agreed that on key issues, such as recognizing the Real Presence and proper preparation for holy Communion, what is most needed is a return to fundamentals.

Said Cardinal Szoka, “These are basic pastoral things, but very important nonetheless, and I'm sure the participants will discuss them.”

Edward Pentin writes from Rome.