Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - Cardinal Angelo Scola Patriarch of Venice, Relator general of the 11th general ordinary assembly of the Synod of Bishops presented on Monday 3 October his intervention consisting of an introduction, three chapters and a conclusion. We give the Cardinal’s presentation of his intervention and the paragraph “The Eucharist implicates evangelisation”.
“After referring to Eucharistic wonder, the Introduction ('Eucharist: the freedom of God encounters the freedom of man') emphasizes the connection of the Eucharist with evangelization and with the 'ratio sacramentalis' of the Revelation. In chapter one ('The Novum of Christian Worship') I will try to highlight the new aspects of Christian worship. Chapter two ('Eucharistic action') will deal with Eucharistic action and its distinctive characteristics, and the essential link between 'ars celebrandi' and 'actuosa participatio.' Chapter three ('Anthropological, cosmological and social dimensions of the Eucharist') will seek to show how the Eucharist intrinsically contains an anthropological, cosmological and social dimension. The Conclusion ('Eucharistic presence in the ordeals of the present day') will offer a brief summary of the subjects discussed, ending with a brief expression of best wishes for our work."
The Eucharist implicates evangelisation
“The data collected by the Instrumentum laboris prepared in view of this assembly showed that eucharistic practice varies considerably in the great areas of the globe. This certainly has to do with the significant cultural differences expressed clearly also in the quality of participation in the Eucharist which, in turn is connected with the authenticity of the ars celebrandi.
However one general point can be made. The decline in eucharistic wonder depends in ultimate analysis on the finitude and sinfulness of the subject. Often however it finds a seed bed in the fact that the Christian community which celebrates the Eucharist is distant from reality. It lives it abstractly. It no longer speaks to concrete man, his affections, his work, his repose, his need of unity, truth, goodness, beauty. So Eucharistic action, separated from daily life, does not accompany the believer in the process of growth of the I and in his relation to the cosmos and to society.
The synod is called to investigate carefully this state of affairs and suggest possible remedies. It cannot simply reaffirm the centrality of the Eucharist and dies Domini. Objectively this is an established fact, but the difficulty lies in how to revive the wonder generated by the Eucharist in many non practising baptised Catholics (over 80% in some European countries). “Before our people approach the liturgy - we must not forget -, they must be called to the faith and conversion” [14]. Therefore indispensable are proclamation and personal and community witness of Jesus Christ to all men and women to give rise to active and open communities. Moreover the life of these communities demands systematic formation to the “thought of Christ” (1Cor 2, 16) (catechesis - particularly for the Christian initiation of children and adults -, culture). It includes education to free service, (charity commitment of social sharing). It calls for universal communication of new life in Christ (mission). In a word the constitutive factors of evangelisation and new evangelisation are essential implications of the eucharistic action. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 4/10/2005, righe 41, parole 519)
