Catholics must emphasize penance as well as Communion, bishop says

Published: 2005-10-05

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholics need to give the same importance to the sacrament of penance as they do to the sacrament of the Eucharist if they are to deepen their relationship with Christ and the church, said a member of the Synod of Bishops. Lithuanian Bishop Rimantas Norvila of Vilkaviskis said Oct. 4 that the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist "must give relevance to the need for the sacrament of reconciliation" or penance. The same day, other synod members discussed the issues of Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics as well as keeping the Eucharist sacred, according to information on the speeches released by the Vatican. In his speech, Bishop Norvila urged the synod's participants to rediscover the gift of the sacrament of reconciliation in "a new light." The church needs to renew its practice of offering spiritual direction and penance, Bishop Norvila said in his written text. Priests also should be encouraged to develop "new attitudes toward personal confession," he added.

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