The bishops have also published a materials guide for the celebration of this octave that includes a message from the members of the subcommittee that highlights the need for the Church to be “an inn where everyone can take refuge, a place of welcome for men and women who seek, a community that heals.” .
“For this to be possible,” the bishops continue, “our communities must be open, joyful, and alive. They must, above all, have an immense capacity to welcome, so that everyone feels at home there.”
The Prelates also emphasize that “welcome and hospitality are a distinctive sign of the Church of Christ” and that, therefore, “we must live it among those of us who call ourselves Christians.” In this sense, they affirm that “certainly the division between us clearly and openly contradicts the will of the Lord and is a serious scandal for the entire world.”