Founder invited by Pope Benedict XVI speaks about the Synod

Rome, 19 (NE – eclesiales.org) The Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist has been taking place since the 3rd of October in the Synodal Hall of the Vatican City State. Among the auditors invited by the Holy Father is Don Luis Fernando Figari, founder of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a Society of Apostolic Life, as well as two associations of apostolic life for women, the Christian Life Movement, and other ecclesial institutions. He is currently in Rome where he was interviewed by Church News.

What do you think are the Synod's main contributions so far?

–The Synod taking place in the Vatican is a meeting of Bishops from all continents summoned by Pope Benedict XVI to consider the theme of the Eucharist as the source and culmination of the life and mission of the Church. The meeting's object is to respectfully present the conclusions of the Synod's reflections to the Holy Father. The subject matter itself already alludes to the importance of the reflections that have been taking place, in a spirit of prayer, about this great gift of love that is the Eucharist. Faith in the Eucharistic mystery is central to Christian life. The Instrument of work, which has been widely broadcasted by the media, constitutes in a certain way the space of the Synodal Fathers' reflection. There is a notable horizon of enthusiasm and hope for the miracle of the Eucharist, as well as the consciousness of what a great reality the People of God possess. Alongside the brilliant lights that radiate from the Great Sacrament to the entire Church, the Instrument of work also presents painful situations that must be remedied. To my understanding one of these is the faith which has been weakened among many Catholics who, proclaiming themselves such, forget to participate in Sunday Mass. For many Sunday has become secularized. The meaning of this day of the week which remembers the Passover of Jesus, and that precisely because of this it is called the Day of the Lord, is forgotten. It is evident that deepening in the causes of this distressing phenomenon and the search for solutions is a matter of concern and prayer for all. The central event of Sunday, that which makes it what it is, is the participation and celebration in Holy Mass. And one can actually ask himself: can there really be Sunday without a reference to the Eucharist? It's certainly not a matter of getting stuck with these statements and questions, but of deepening in the anthropological and cultural causes that have already been accumulating for some time to exclude religious practice from personal and social life. It is, therefore, about restoring the significance of Sunday, which implies the necessity of a pastoral effort which places faith and its contents as first and foremost and thus illuminates the meaning of Sunday as a sacramental celebration of the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. The integral sense of the Mass is much more transcendent than the concept of a precept. It is necessary that among the People of God we allow ourselves to once more be overwhelmed by the realities of our faith and recover the Christian identity and the meaning that it gives to the life we live in this world.

In your intervention on the 12 th of October in the Synodal Hall, you highlighted the relationship between Confession and Communion. Why?

–Well, I highlighted several issues, among them this one, which I consider of great importance. The relationship between Confession and Eucharistic Communion is a consequence of what the Eucharist means and the required dispositions required to receive Communion. There is a very close relationship between both sacraments. Already many centuries ago the annual Communion prescribed as a minimum took place during Easter time. The faithful in general, and especially the laity, who don't resort with a certain frequency to the Eucharistic communion find themselves especially invited to confess and receive Communion at Easter time. It's that the gift of receiving Communion requires a state of grace, that is, not having what Doctrine denominates mortal sin. The Council of Trent already outlined that faith alone was not enough, and that it was necessary to be in a state of grace, thus requiring that whoever was not should resort to the sacrament of Confession. The Church is clear on the details of how this occurs and the diverse circumstances that exist around the relationship between Confession and Eucharistic Communion, the treatment of which would make for a very long response to your question.

Why do you consider the relationship of Confession and Communion so important today?

–The importance of the Eucharistic Sacrifice is central in the life of the Church. Frequent reception of the Eucharist is very recommendable. It's very beautiful that participation in Sunday Mass implies Communion for each person. But the Church doesn't impose that. I've already mentioned that the precept for centuries has been that of Communion at least once a year. But today a double phenomenon occurs. On the one hand, the lack of understanding of the Great Sacrament and maybe a cooling of love brings one to even be careless in Sunday Mass participation. And on the other hand, it is evident that many go up to receive Holy Communion without being adequately prepared. One might say, “and how can you know that?” Well, by the enormous disproportion that exists between those who receive Communion and the scarce number of confessions, not always the fault of he who would have liked to confess, and thus incite his process of adhesion to the Lord Jesus but finds the confessional closed. Only someone who doesn't look at this painful situation realistically can fail to know that there exists a widespread tendency to be careless about the moral state that one finds oneself in before receiving Communion. The Instrumentum laboris of this eleventh Synod warns about it with the utmost clarity. Allow me to cite it. “It is necessary to recognize the great disproportion between many who receive Communion and the few who confess.” Because of this I have considered it opportune to mention the transcendence of this subject.

Why do you believe that there is this tendency to receive Communion without even thinking whether or not one is in grave sin or not?

–I think it has to do with a highly complex reality, but, following the synodal Instrumentuam laboris again, I believe it can be said that many approach to receive Communion because they believe that participation in the Holy Mass remains invalidated unless they do so. This calls for a deepening in the reality of the Eucharist.

If the Code of Canon Law and secular practice consider as necessary only one single Communion a year and at the same time that all the faithful seek to assist at Mass every Sunday and on Holy days of Obligation, it's obvious that the Mass is valid even though the participant doesn't receive Sacramental Communion. Having the Church been so clear in this respect, how can this error have been produced?

–I wouldn't know how to answer with precision. The fact is that this false idea seems to be more widespread that can be believed. I'm going to dare to try out a hypothesis. Perhaps it has to do with a unilateral accent on the aspect of Supper to the detriment of the aspect of the Sacrifice?

There is something called “spiritual communion”. Is it something that should be promoted?

–By all means, yes. And especially for those who do not receive communion sacramentally it is a very appropriate practice in order to encounter the Lord. Furthermore, the Magisterium encourages it.

Changing the subject a little, we know that Pope Benedict XVI has been present in the work of the Synod. Could you tell us how that experience has been of being in the Synodal Hall with the Holy Father?

–First of all, the Apostle Peter is the rock on which Lord Jesus founds the Church and with the strength of the Holy Spirit deploys it in history fulfilling its task of continuing its mission as the Mystical Body of Christ. Saint Peter is the founder of the Christian community of Rome and its Bishop. The Pope is the successor of Peter. Therefore to be in the Synodal Hall presided by Peter is in itself an intense, very intense, experience of faith, of communion. Personally, it is also a spiritual experience. It is not easy to express what one experiences upon seeing Peter direct the barque of the Church. I believe it is a privileged moment in my life and I do not cease to give thanks to God, from whom all goods proceed, for this opportunity of being so close to our beloved Pope Benedict XVI and for so long as well.

You have been one of the few laymen, consecrated or married, invited to participate in the assembly of Bishops. What has been the contribution of the laity in the Synod's work?

–As laymen we are called to participate in the Synod as auditors. Each one has had the opportunity to express his opinion on the various subjects addressed in the commissions and discussion circles which are established according to linguistic criteria, personal dialogues with the Synod fathers, as well as the so called auditions on plenary sessions. In this way, as well as with prayer and the living of ecclesial communion, a participation of the laity in the work of the Synod has been created.

What horizon does this first Synod of Bishops of Pope Benedict XVI open up?

–I think it places the theme of the identity of being a son of the Church and coherence in Christian life before the more than 1200 million Catholics in the world. In centering on the Sacrament of Sacraments the Synod points to a key issue in the faith of the believer and in the life of the Church. In that sense I think that the chosen title is highly eloquent and capable of synthetically bearing the message of how important the gift of the Eucharist is for the life and mission of the Church, and of all the faithful who, by the gift of Baptism participate in this beautiful and transcendent mission. It also has great importance for those churches that, like the Orthodox, share so much with the Catholic Church. It is also that way for the other Christians. I think that the Synod has notable implications in many aspects of the life of the Church and that it places the marvelous gift of the Eucharist at the center of the New Evangelization.