A response to the question: what does it mean to be in communion with the Church?

I would like to thank Steve for his important and timely posting about the US Bishops November 2006 statement on the Eucharist. There is a lot to Steve’s posting, and there is a lot in the Bishops’ statement. But neither Steve’s posting, the Bishops’ statement, nor my reflections could cover all issues that may arise about who should receive the Eucharist and who should not. Having said this, let me provide an imperfect response to some of the points Steve has presented and on which he sought the thoughts of MOJ participants.

First of all, there exists an abundance of guidance and instruction on many of the issues Steve has raised (abortion, marriage, masturbation, pre-marital sex, artificial birth control) and some that he has not but are on the minds of many Catholics today (euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research, capital punishment, the use of armed force, etc.). The Catechism of the Catholic Church is always a good place to begin when one is searching for answers about what a Catholic should do and should avoid. Those with computer or library access should have no difficult obtaining access to Conciliar documents, encyclical letters, bishops’ conference texts, apostolic constitutions, curial documents, etc. Another useful resource is the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church and the websites of the US Conference of Catholic bishops and of many US dioceses.

But still, as Steve suggests, there may still be some questions on particular points. Well, pastors, including bishops, have the office and, therefore, the responsibility to help the faithful assess whether a person may receive the Eucharist or not. In this context, the Church has the sacrament of reconciliation (confession and penance) to assist each member of the Church—clerical or lay, but all being members of the Body of Christ—to determine whether he or she is in a sufficient state of grace to receive the Eucharist. These are the resources useful for helping to address his underlying question. These provide the foundation for a proper exercise of the examination of conscience that serves as an appropriate prelude to the sacrament of reconciliation that may be needed before participation in the Eucharist. And surely a good and thorough examination of conscience, as the Church teaches, is a fundamental step before receiving the Eucharist. Statistics demonstrating that some percentage of a particular population agrees or not with some teaching of the Church, while they may be interesting, are not determinative of the question: who should receive communion?

In this context, I recall another debate over the use of statistics which, while interesting, were not determinative of the situation: suppose there are fifty, forty, thirty, twenty, ten righteous within the city… will you destroy it? “No” was the answer that God gave Abraham. I often think that if their walk continued a bit further and the question concerned the existence of one righteous, the answer of God would have been the same.

Steve poses the case of the Bishops’ Conference preparing a statement with no “wiggle room.” Knowing that the text to which Steve referred is a pastoral rather than a legal document, I wonder if it would be possible to draft the perfect legal document? In this regard, one need not think solely about Church texts that are juridical. After all, many of us spend countless hours in offices and classrooms demonstrating why the “perfect” legal text is not perfect at all. I guess that is why Sacred Scripture reminds us that only God is perfect, but we, as disciples of His Son, are called to become more perfect than we are. And the Church, through its ministry, teaching, and sacraments, is there to help in this pursuit.

But let me continue with Steve’s question and assume with him that the Church and the Bishops’ Conference or some appropriate dicastery in Rome issued such a text, if that were possible. Steve suggests what the result may be: a smaller Church, that is, a smaller number of people considering themselves Catholics. While I cannot disagree with Steve’s observations, I personally do not know the answer. I do know a bit about the Church’s history since its beginning, and I am aware that each of us who claims to be Catholic or once made that claim is a sinful person. The measure and degree of sinfulness waxes and wanes, but we must be mindful that God sends His people help to cast off temptation and seek that greater perfection, that deeper holiness, and that greater goodness that can be found within each person who desires to abandon the sinful and put on Christ. I am of the view that God has never abandoned His people; however, it is His people—individually and in community—who have turned their backs to God. Percentages really are unimportant, but human nature and its ability to remain faithful or to succumb to temptation are facts.

God has called His people to holiness and to fidelity. What pollsters, interest groups, lobbyists, or individual theologians suggest and argue is nice to know. But, what God asks of us is pretty clear. When we need help to determine what that is, our Holy Mother the Church is there to help. Each person through his or her baptism has a role in evangelizing—going forth to bring the Good News to those who have not heard it. But, ultimately it is up to each of us to accept it or not. That is the free will God has given everyone; it is up to us to exercise it with fidelity. But if we chose not to on any particular occasion through our own insistence that my conscience, right or wrong, is the voice I follow, God will still be there to welcome us home if our sincere intention is ultimately to seek His forgiveness, understanding, and mercy.

Like Steve, I, too, am interested in what others think. But frankly, I don’t think God is interested in opinion polls and the percentages they reflect. I don’t think God is interested in popularity polls or that which is deemed politically correct at any moment. His truth exists, and His Son has shown us the way to that truth that he personifies. It is up to us to accept that way and God’s Truth or not. As Pope Benedict said at Regensburg and as the Second Vatican Council did in December of 1965, there is no compulsion in religion, in belief, in true faith. Businesses may be interested in increased market shares; and governments in larger percentages of electorates; but the Church is interested in the salvation of souls, and, I believe, so is God. If I may borrow from St. Paul, it’s running the race and finishing that is important—all win who discipline themselves up to the finish line and remain mindful and observant of what God asks along the way.     RJA sj