Archbishop of Sydney

Roman Meeting

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
30 October 2005

Last Sunday a three week meeting of 240 Catholic bishops from around the world concluded in Rome, with only the Chinese bishops unable to attend.  Three Australian bishops were present.  The topic for discussion was the Eucharist.

On the night before he died nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus celebrated a ritual meal with his apostles in the cenacle in Jerusalem.  He developed and changed the Jewish ritual commemorating their escape from Egypt about 1400 years earlier by blessing bread and wine and commanding his followers to continue these celebrations in memory of Him and especially of his death and resurrection.

For Catholics and Orthodox the celebration of the Eucharist (what Catholics call “the Mass”), especially on Sunday, the day of the resurrection, is absolutely central.  Both traditions believe that the bread and wine are turned miraculously into the Body and Blood of Christ.

Not surprisingly this Synod did not advise the Pope to introduce any new doctrines, (the Synod has no power to legislate) and although we did make a number of practical suggestions, we did not request any disciplinary changes either.

Some press reports had suggested that the Synod might recommend that the Church allow the ordination of some married men to meet the shortage of priests in some places.  After a deal of discussion the bishops overwhelmingly refused to ask for such a change, believing it would weaken us in the long run.

We also discussed at considerable length the situation of Catholics who have divorced and remarried and therefore cannot receive Communion.  Once again no change was requested, despite the frequency of marriage breakdowns today, because the New Testament ideal of marriage must be protected, but especially because of Jesus’ explicit teaching against divorce and remarriage.  Those in this situation were encouraged to continue in their prayer and Mass-going and reminded again that they are not excluded from the Church.

This was Pope Benedict’s first Synod as Pope.  His popularity and pleasant personality have surprised many who only knew him from hostile press reports.  In fact there have been 450,000 pilgrims at his Wednesday audiences in the past 6 months, double the number present for the last six months of the great Pope John Paul II.

Some observers also claimed to be surprised by the climate of freedom among the Synod bishops, but this was exaggerated as bishops have always spoken their minds; or at least did so in the four earlier Synods I have attended.  But the changes which allowed more free discussion in the main assembly and the publication of the propositions which we voted on were good developments.

One journalist asked me whether the Synod was three weeks wasted, because there was “nothing new”!  It is always useful for us, and the Pope, to hear what bishops and priests are saying around the world and it was encouraging to have complete unanimity on the central teachings on the Eucharist.