Vatican nuncio to German bishops: Pope and Eucharist prevent a ‘Christian-flavored NGO’

Archbishop Hubertus van Megen, the apostolic nuncio to Germany, told German bishops that the papacy and the Eucharist are the two pillars of the Church's visible unity. Speaking at the opening of the German Bishops' Conference fall plenary assembly in Fulda on Sept. 28, the nuncio warned that without these elements, the Church could become a federation of individual communities or a Christian-flavored nongovernmental organization.

Van Megen stated that the pope safeguards unity of faith and communion, while the Eucharist sacramentally realizes and nourishes that unity. He noted that the Eucharist is not just a symbol but actually creates and strengthens the communion of the Church. He added that the pope's ministry serves to protect and foster the communion expressed most highly in the celebration of the Eucharist.

The nuncio, representing the Holy See, described Rome as the visible center and guarantor of the unity of the universal Church. While he cautioned that these pillars do not guarantee unity in a mechanical or organizational sense, he said Christ provided enduring means to preserve and renew that unity.