The two disciples met Jesus walking together on the road to Emmaus. Our Gospel begins: “Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.” The Second Vatican Council says that “the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life.” In the USA we are thankful that we can participate in mass frequently and receive Holy Communion. We hope that the Second Session of the Synod on Synodality in Rome in October, 2024 will offer practical, pastoral solutions to the Eucharistic Famine (also called the Eucharistic Hunger and the Eucharistic Deprivation).
Research show that due to the lack of male, celibate priests, on any given Sunday most Catholics in Africa (up to 60% in some surveys) participate in a “Sunday Service Without a Priest” where there is usually no Holy Communion especially in rural areas rather than participate in a regular mass. Bishop Patrick Kalilombe of Malawi talks about the importance of Small Christian Communities (SCCs) being Eucharistic Communities, but in fact they are not especially in rural areas in Africa. Research in the Amazon in Latin America indicates that there are rural Catholic communities (what we call outstations or mission stations in Africa) that only get Mass once or twice a year. Pope Francis has spoken about this pastoral challenge, even crisis, several times.
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