General: The Word of God as Sign of Social Development: That in less developed parts of the world the proclamation of the Word of God may renew people’s hearts, encouraging them to work actively toward authentic social progress.
Mission: The End of War: That by opening our hearts to love we may put an end to the numerous wars and conflicts which continue to bloody our world.
A. Some non-Catholics are surprised when they attend Holy Mass to see that not everyone receives Holy Communion. Some people stay in their benches at communion time while others approach the altar asking for a blessing. Except under very special circumstances, a non-Catholic is not permitted to receive Holy Communion in a Catholic Church and in fact many Catholics are also unable to receive.
Holy Communion expresses Unity. It is important to understand why this is the case because decisions about who can or cannot receive Communion are not just matters of Church discipline. They are concerned with our very understanding of the meaning of Holy Communion.
Catholics believe that when we receive Holy Communion we eat and drink the very body and blood of Jesus Christ. Holy Communion is about being united with Jesus (‘communion’ means ‘union with’). For Catholics, receiving Holy Communion anticipates our union with God in heaven and is a sign of the unity we live in the Church. It is an expression of our unity not a means of achieving it.
