Bishop Issues Statement on
Eucharistic Coherence

Dear  brothers and sisters in Christ,

I wish to express my support for Archbishop Jose Gomez in providing ample time for discussion on the issue of Eucharistic Coherence during the upcoming virtual meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

This is an important issue that we bishops need time to discuss so that we can better teach the people entrusted to our pastoral care of the importance of coherence or consistency for all of us when it comes to approaching Holy Communion.  The action of receiving Holy Communion, so paramount to the Catholic requires of each of us an alignment between what we profess and how we live.  To willfully and blatantly do otherwise puts one’s soul in moral jeopardy and causes potentially grave scandal to the faithful.

This issue is vitally important for Catholics in public office who profess to be Catholic but who exercise their leadership in ways that are diametrically opposed to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, particularly but not exclusively as they pertain to the inherent dignity of the human person from conception until natural death and marriage and the family, which provide the foundation of society.  The actions of Catholics in public office advancing such intrinsic evils as abortion, euthanasia, and same sex marriage can cause much confusion, dismay and scandal.

Because of its importance, I am eager to have such a dialogue with my brother bishops as well as the members of my own leadership team and the members of both the Diocesan Pastoral Council and the Diocesan Presbyteral Council.

Most Reverend Carl A. Kemme D.D.

Bishop of Wichita