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Bishop comments on Pope's new Eucharist encyclical

Remarking on the Holy Father's latest papal letter, Bp. Robert Banks, leader of the Diocese of Green Bay, said, "Pope John Paul II's new Encyclical on the Eucharist is probably the most personal Encyclical he has ever written. The words spring from a heart that has been in love with the Eucharist for a lifetime."

The pope signed "Ecclesia de Eucharistia," his 14th Encyclical letter April 17 at Holy Thursday Mass, which marks the beginning of the three most sacred days for Christians. The letter reaffirmed the church's teaching of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the need for validly ordained ministers for its celebration, and the importance of following the church's liturgical norms.

While Pope John Paul credited the Second Vatican Council for leading to a "more conscious, active and fruitful participation" in the Mass, "some abuses have occurred, leading to confusion with regard to sound faith and Catholic doctrine." To share Eucharist with Christians of other faiths is to be prayed for and worked toward, but is not a step on the way toward Christian unity, he said.

Also, the pope reiterated the church's teaching that those who have committed a serious sin must receive the Sacrament of Confession before receiving the Sacrament of Communion; likewise, people who are indifferent to the suffering of the poor are not worthy to partake of the Sacrament of Communion.

"The pope is also deeply concerned about certain trends that obscure the traditional Catholic understanding of the Eucharist," Bp. Banks said. "So he has tried to remove any uncertainty and hesitation about where the Church is going by restating what has been stated often before, but perhaps not so personally."

"The pope's directness about these abuses - and they do not occupy a major part of the encyclical - come from a conviction that the Eucharist is at the heart of the Church," he said.