Interim Staff
The Vatican released a working document for the 11th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, scheduled to be held Oct. 2 to 23 this year on the theme, “The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church.”
The document, drawn up on the basis of input from Catholic church leaders throughout the world to a draft called the “Lineamenta,” lamented “the fact that too many faithful receive Communion without having sufficiently reflected upon the morality of their lives.”
Article 73 of the 88-page document says, “There exist Catholics who do not understand why they commit a sin when they support politically a candidate openly in favour of abortion or other grave acts against life, justice, and peace.”
Commenting on the reception of Communion, the same article says, “Certain (faithful) communicate even if they deny the teachings of the church or support publicly immoral choices, such as abortion, without thinking that they are committing a personal action which is profoundly dishonest or that they are a source of scandal.”
