By Cindy Wooden and Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As it looks for ways to increase Catholics' love for the Eucharist, the world Synod of Bishops also will have to grapple with questions about ordaining married men, sharing Communion with other Christians and allowing divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive the sacrament, said a synod official.

Italian Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice, the synod's recording secretary, told synod participants and reporters Oct. 3 that he did not believe current church practice should change on any of those issues.

However, even before the synod debate began, the two bishops who joined Cardinal Scola in facing the press Oct. 3 offered slightly different views on the issues.

In his 52-page, Latin-language summary of topics awaiting the synod, Cardinal Scola said the Eucharist must be understood as a gift from God; it is not a possession or a right.

"The problem of the scarcity of priests must be faced with courage in the framework of the Eucharist as a gift," he said.

Some people, while recognizing the value of priestly celibacy, have said that the need and right of Catholic faithful to receive the Eucharist regularly meant the church must consider the possibility of ordaining married men in the Latin rite when the lack of celibate priests is particularly serious.

But Cardinal Scola said that attitude assumes that the church is like a business and can calculate exactly how many priests it requires; priests, too, are a gift from God and, if more are needed, people should pray.

The cardinal also asked the synod to consider practical ways for ensuring a more equitable global distribution of the priests the church does have.

Philippine Bishop Luis Tagle of Imus, joining Cardinal Scola at the Vatican press conference, said while the focus of the synod was on the Eucharist as the source of the life and mission of the church, it must not be forgotten that "in the absence of the priest, there is no Eucharist."

In the Philippines, there are "lots of neighborhoods and villages or barrios where people long for the Eucharist," he said, and even though the "seminaries are full," there still are not enough priests to minister to the rising number of Catholics in the country.

As a result, priests are stretched to the limit, he said. To give an example, Bishop Tagle said the Sunday after his priestly ordination in 1982, he presided over nine Masses, which is not unusual.

Bishop Tagle said he is worried about "what happens to the vocation of the faithful" and how they can "become full communities of faith" if they receive a preconsecrated host, but are not able to participate regularly in a Mass.

The bishops of the Philippines did not send representatives to the synod with a "particular position" on addressing the priest shortage, he said, but they were hoping for concrete suggestions.

Haitian Coadjutor Bishop Pierre-Antoine Paulo of Port-de-Paix told reporters his country also faces a severe priest shortage. But, he said, some communities have tried turning the problem into a positive experience by re-emphasizing the sacredness of Sunday as a day of rest and dedication to God.

Even if there is no priest to celebrate Mass, "people come from far away even in the rain to gather together in a small chapel. Why? Because it's Sunday" and "Sunday is still a day of God," he said.

The people listen to the word of God, "which is food for us to create a community," he said.

Cardinal Scola's formal presentation to the synod also included questions about the possibility of inviting members of other Christian churches and communities to share the Eucharist during a Catholic liturgy.

The cardinal told synod participants that sharing the Eucharist is an action signifying that those gathered around the altar share the same faith. The Catholic Church allows individual non-Catholics to receive the Eucharist only in limited circumstances.

However, Cardinal Scola said, allowing eucharistic sharing without a full sharing of faith runs the risk of further dividing Christians by minimizing the different teachings and practices they hold.

Bishop Paulo, though, said that if the Catholic Church proclaims that the Eucharist strengthens its own unity, it cannot ignore the possibility that eucharistic sharing could serve the cause of Christian unity.

With 12 churches and ecclesial communities having accepted Pope Benedict XVI's invitation to send representatives to the synod, he said, "I would like to have an ecumenical celebration to show we are marching toward this unity."

The bishop urged generosity in interpreting Vatican norms for eucharistic sharing because the Eucharist "does not belong to anyone."

The issue of Communion for Catholics who married only in a civil ceremony after having been divorced also was under discussion from the opening moments of the synod.

In his presentation to the synod, Cardinal Scola said, "no one can fail to notice the widespread tendency" of divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion despite the church's teaching that first they must receive an annulment of their original marriage.

The cardinal said "superficiality" in understanding the permanence of marriage and the significance of the Eucharist are not the only factors involved, and that some situations were complex.

The cardinal said that while the church tries to clarify how such specific situations should be handled, it is up to all Catholics in every parish to help divorced and civilly remarried Catholics see that while they may not receive Communion, they are still part of the church.

Bishop Paulo suggested that just as the church allows some non-Catholic Christians to receive the Eucharist in special circumstances, there might be circumstances in which the divorced and civilly remarried could be welcomed and would be strengthened by receiving the Eucharist.

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops