Official says synod faces challenges about access to Eucharist

Published: 2005-10-12

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Bishops from around the world will have to grapple with "a couple of contradictions" in order to allow the faithful to have more access to the Eucharist, said the special secretary of the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist. Archbishop Roland Minnerath of Dijon, France, said talks during the first 10 days of the Oct. 2-23 synod had shown that "on the one hand we are a church of the Eucharist, but on the other hand we seem to have fewer and fewer priests to celebrate it." According to information released by the Vatican, the archbishop said another contradiction the faithful may be experiencing concerns the sacrament of reconciliation. He said the church says participation in Sunday Mass "is obligatory and confession is important, but we can't offer that to all of our faithful," because there were not enough priests to offer confession or because priests were juggling too many duties and did not have time to offer the sacrament often enough. Archbishop Minnerath delivered his comments between scheduled talks during the Oct. 12 morning session in the Vatican's synod hall. As special secretary, he was allowed to intervene at any time if he thought it could assist in the synod debate.

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