The United States Bishops' Conference has gathered virtually for its three-day spring meeting to discuss the future of the Church in the United States.
The president of the U.S. Bishop's Conference, opened the conference with a call for unity in what he said is a time of great division within the country and the Church.
ABP. JOSÉ H. GOMEZ
President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
“It seems to me that in these times when society is so divided, the Church has a great duty to more fully reflect the unity that God wants for his creation and his people.
Only a Church that is united can heal the brokenness and challenge, the injustices, that we see more clearly now in the wake of this pandemic.”
The meeting comes in the midst of a national debate over whether the bishops should withhold Holy Communion from public officials who support abortion policies, a topic that has taken center stage among the bishops' discussions.
BP. KEVIN RHOADES
Chairman, USCCB Committee on Doctrine
“We have seen the national surveys indicating that many Catholics understand the Eucharist to be only a symbol. The need, therefore, for a strong revival of the meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the Church and in the lives of each one of her members, is more critical now than ever.”
In May, a letter written by Cardinal Luis Ladaria, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, urged U.S. bishops to seek a “true consensus” on the matter before drafting a formal document.
It is a debate that has reentered the public spotlight in the United States since the election of President Joe Biden, a Catholic who publicly supports legislation which allows abortion.
JM
USCCB/RR
