June 22, 2021
Dear Friends in Christ,
I would like to share with the faithful the following statement regarding the vote that took place at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Spring Meeting on Friday, June 18, concerning the decision to draft a formal statement on the meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the Church.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Vote to Write a Document on the Meaning of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church
Statement of Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
June 21, 2021
“Last week, my brother bishops and I voted overwhelmingly to issue a teaching document on the beauty and power of the Eucharist. The doctrine committee of the bishops’ conference will now begin drafting this document and, in the months ahead, the bishops will continue our prayer and discernment through a series of regional meetings and consultations. In November, the bishops will gather to discuss the document draft.
“The Eucharist is the heart of the Church and the heart of our lives as Catholics. In the Holy Eucharist, Jesus Christ himself draws near to each one of us personally and gathers us together as one family of God and one Body of Christ.
“As bishops, our desire is to deepen our people’s awareness of this great mystery of faith, and to awaken their amazement at this divine gift, in which we have communion with the living God. That is our pastoral purpose in writing this document.
“I invite everyone in the Church to pray for the bishops as we continue our dialogues and reflections. I pray that this will be a time for all of us in the Church to reflect on our own faith and readiness to receive our Lord in the Holy Eucharist.”
Please join us in praying that all Catholics seek personal conversion of heart in their reception of the Body and Blood of Christ.
Sincerely in Christ,
The Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr
Archbishop of Cincinnati
