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Focus on Eucharist, take care of liturgy, Pope exhorts Brazilian bishops

CWN - April 15, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI concentrated on the Eucharist, "the heart of Christian life, source and summit of the Church's mission of evangelization," as he met on April 15 with a group of Brazilian bishops making their ad limina visits to Rome.

A lack of attention to the Eucharistic liturgy, the Pope warned the Brazilian bishops, is "a sign and a cause of the darkening of the Christian sense of mystery." He warned against an approach to the liturgy that treats the Mass as "simply a fraternal banquet" and can lead to "a community preoccupied with other things." The Pope summarized the problem by saying that "if the figure of Christ does not emerge from the liturgy ... it is not a Christian liturgy."

With Brazil scheduled to host its 16th National Eucharistic Congress soon, the Pontiff prayed that the Eucharist would "truly be the heart of Brazil."

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  • Posted by: impossible - Apr. 15, 2010 6:57 PM ET USA

    When will the Pope exercise his authority and take clear action to instruct American bishops about their duty under Canon Law #915. Bishiop Wuerl is allegedly awaiting such instructions. How about formal excommunication of pro-abortion politicians????? How about Father Micaheal Pfleger's liturgical abuses????

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