US Bishops: No vote on banning politicians from receiving the Eucharist

By Vatican News staff writer

During their Spring Plenary Assembly this month, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said they are drafting a teaching “Document on the Meaning of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church.”

A statement published on the bishops’ website explains that “there has been much attention on the vote taken to draft a document on the Eucharist” and that “the question of whether or not to deny any individual or groups Holy Communion was not on the ballot.”

The bishops also point out specifically that it was not up for debate to vote on banning politicians from receiving the Eucharist, nor is it their intention to issue a national policy on withholding Communion from politicians, regardless of whether they hold public office or not.    

the statement explains that “The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life. The importance of nurturing an ever deeper understanding of the beauty and mystery of the Eucharist in our lives is not a new topic for the bishops. The document being drafted is not meant to be disciplinary in nature, nor is it targeted at any one individual or class of persons. It will include a section on the Church’s teaching on the responsibility of every Catholic, including bishops, to live in accordance with the truth, goodness and beauty of the Eucharist we celebrate.”

To help better understand the topic, the USCCB has published a document summing up a few commonly asked questions on the meeting and on this topic at issue.