Eucharist, not music or priest, must be focus of Mass, cardinal says

Published: 2005-01-25

DALLAS (CNS) -- The celebration of the Eucharist is "the supreme act of worship" for Catholics, and is at the "very heart of our religion," a top Vatican cardinal told a crowd of nearly 2,000 gathered in Dallas for a liturgical conference. Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, was the keynote speaker at the 43rd annual Southwest Liturgical Conference, held Jan. 18-21. Representatives from 27 dioceses in the Southwest gathered for a series of workshops, talks and activities focusing on celebrating liturgy during the study week, on the theme "Come to the Feast/Ven al Banquete: Disciples Called, Fed, Sent Forth." According to the Second Vatican Council, the Eucharist is "'a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet' where Christ is consumed and Jesus' glory is given to us," Cardinal Arinze said. "It is the essence of religion at its heart and at its height."

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