The End of Communion Détente

The salvation of souls is the supreme law of the Church, so goes the saying. It is also the last paragraph of the last law in the Code of Canon Law. It is a principle that has been lost in the debate which continues to swirl around the Catholic bishops of the United States, President Joe Biden, and the subject of who can -- or should -- receive Communion, and when. At their meeting in June, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops voted overwhelmingly to produce a draft teaching document on the Eucharist. During their hours-long debate, many of the bishops noted a loss of understanding among Catholics -- perhaps even a loss of faith -- in sacrament the Church calls "the source and summit of Christian life."