The bishops of the United States are meeting virtually for their regular spring Plenary Assembly from Wednesday through Friday of this week, with a full agenda including votes on causes for canonization, liturgical translations, and policy statements on pastoral ministry to native Americans and young people heading the agenda.
However, the meeting is likely to be overshadowed by a debate on whether to draft a formal statement on “the meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the Church.”
Despite the innocuous title, the proposed statement has already caused controversy, as it is expected to deal with the question of how the Church should respond to politicians who take public policy positions contrary to Church teaching. The issue has taken on new relevance with the election of Joe Biden as only the second Catholic president of the United States.
