(VIS) - The recent Synod of Bishops which met October 2 to 23, 2005, in the Vatican on the theme of "The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church" has brought forth 50 propositions from the bishops for Pope Benedict XVI to review as he prepares the Apostolic Exhortation for the Eleventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Significantly placed near the top of the synod’s recommendations was a strong endorsement of the Second Vatican Council. Proposition 2 said the changes introduced by Vatican II had greatly benefited the church. It said liturgical abuses had occurred in the past, but said they had diminished substantially in recent times. Weighing in on the synod’s debate over whether the Eucharist should be seen as a gift or a right, Proposition 4 said both elements came into play. It said the Eucharist is a gift from God, but it also said the Catholic faithful have a right to receive the sacraments and that pastors have a duty to “make every effort” to provide access to the Eucharist. Proposition 35, however, said reception of Communion should never be seen as automatic. Non-Catholics attending Mass should be told “delicately but clearly” that their nonparticipation in Communion does not signify a lack of respect for them; Catholics should be reminded of the need to be in a state of grace before receiving Communion.

The propositions contained proposals on several other topics of interest including: Church Discipline on Priestly Celibacy, The Shortage of Priests, Dies Domini (pertaining to Sunday being the Day of the Lord), The Use of Latin in Liturgical Celebrations, Divorced and Re-married Catholics and the Eucharist, and Admission of Non-Catholic Faithful to Communion, just to name a few.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will hold its fall meeting in Washington, DC, November 14-17 at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill. The agenda will include: a statement representing Catholic teaching on the death penalty, A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death; a document entitled Co-workers in the Vineyard of the Lord: Resource for Guiding Development of Lay Ecclesial Ministry; an update on the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform; a report on the progress being made by the Ad Hoc Committee on the Church in Africa; and several matters pertaining to the Church’s liturgy, including discussion of the Order of Mass and debate and vote on the Lectionary for Masses with Children. The Bishops will elect seven new committee chairmen-elect and a new General Secretary. They will hear presentations by Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, Patriarch of Antioch, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, reporting on the 2008 Eucharistic Congress to be held in Quebec City, and Monsignor Richard Stern of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association.