As Catholic bishops gather, so do protesters on right and left

On the first day of the meeting, a coalition of liberal-leaning Catholic groups protested outside the hotel where the bishops were to meet in a closed, executive session. Calling their demonstration “Bread, not Stones,” about 50 participants marched, prayed and gave speeches expressing disapproval with what they describe as efforts by bishops to politicize the Eucharist.

The demonstration was focused on a planned debate at the U.S. bishops’ meeting over a document on Communion. Although the document is expected to be less political than some critics originally feared, the controversy surrounding its creation drew international attention after some bishops suggested denying the Eucharist to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights.

Signs included messages such as “Who would Jesus deny?”; “Communion is for all”; and “Eucharist: food for a hungry soul.” Organizations helping to assemble the protest include Catholics for Choice, Women’s Ordination Conference, DignityUSA and FutureChurch.