Sister Deborah Watson, RSM, graduated from Mercy High School Burlingame and entered the Sisters of Mercy in The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted today during its annual spring general assembly to move forward with the drafting of a formal teaching document on the meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the church. Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone issued the following statement in response to the vote. A PDF of the statement is available in English and Spanish HERE.
I’m grateful that the bishops of the United States placed their trust in the Holy Spirit to guide in our effort to promote and protect the sanctity of the Most Holy Eucharist.
Our unity is in Jesus Christ. Our God-given responsibility as bishops is to proclaim the truth as did St. Paul: the Eucharist is the real Body and Blood of Christ. We must confess our serious sins and seek reconciliation in the sacrament before presenting ourselves for Holy Communion.
At this historic time in the Church, I would exhort us all to remember the Eucharistic martyrs who died to protect the Most Blessed Sacrament from profanation, and to take heart.
I look forward to continuing fruitful dialogue with all my brother bishops, and I place my trust in the Holy Spirit to guide us to a real and not feigned unity in Christ. I ask all Catholics to pray for their own bishop, and for all of us bishops as we discern the best way to speak these profound truths about the Holy Eucharist.
