Vatican tries to revive eucharistic adoration
For seven centuries, eucharistic adoration—praying before an exposed
consecrated communion host—was one of the most popular forms of devotion
in the Roman Catholic Church, the focus of beloved prayers and hymns
and a distinctive symbol of Catholic identity.
Following the
modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), the
practice fell from favor, especially in Europe and the U.S. But over the
last decade, under Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the church has
strongly encouraged a revival of the practice.
"No one eat this
flesh, if he has not adored it before; for we sin if we do not adore,"
Benedict said, quoting St. Augustine in a 2009 speech at the Vatican.
