THE Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life” (Vatican II documents Lumen Gentium) and this is the Year of the Eucharist.
It is ironic that as the Church emphasises the Eucharist, the availability of attending the Eucharist, especially in some country districts, becomes less and less.
Why is there no discussion as to what can be done in the long term? Will more and more parishes be amalgamated or the Mass become a rarity for more and more of the faithful? If the Eucharist is so important, what is the Church doing to ensure the laity do have access?
We are told to pray. But are the Pope and the Vatican listening to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches (us)? Are they sufficiently aware of the situation, especially in rural Australia and many other parts of the world?
We have been blessed with wonderful priests.
I think of the priest in Mt Isa, Fr Mick Lowcock (People, CL 7/8/05), who after celebrating four Masses each weekend, then travels over 1000 km each week to bring the Mass to his other parishioners in Boulia.
We cannot continue to expect this heroic devotion from the few priests who remain. What is the answer?
According to Bishop John Heaps, in his book A Love that Dares to Question, as a first step the Church must welcome back (no strings attached) all those priests who are no longer allowed to exercise their priestly vocation because of marriage.
The leadership of our Church must accept the evidence of this age that priesthood and celibacy are two distinct callings.
The criteria for being accepted into the priesthood, celibate male, is too narrow and confined.
Jesus did not choose his disciples, both men and women, on the basis of gender or marital status. His disciples were not taken away from their community, nor did they have to study for years.
We are asked to pray for vocations, but maybe the Lord has already answered our prayers by the number of laity who are already serving the Church.
Let us go back to the practice of the early Church and ordain those who are already leaders in their parishes to be ministers of the Eucharist and others, who already have qualifications, to be teachers.
Let us remember the words of Jesus in Mark 10:42-45, not to lord it over others.
Let us restore equality between all the people of God. Let us pray that the Pope and Vatican will hear again the call of the Second Vatican Council to collegiality and subsidiarity, that they will listen to our bishops and allow the grassroots to be heard.
We cannot hide our heads in the sand for much longer.
What are we, the people of God, going to do about this present situation in our beloved Church?
M. GUY
Hervey Bay, Qld
