Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne — South Bend, until recently the chairman of the US bishops’ doctrine committee, was the bishop primarily responsible for The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church, which was recently approved in a 222-8 vote.

Addressing the reception of Holy Communion by pro-abortion politicians, he said, “I don’t think we skirted the issue.”

Bishop Rhoades criticized comments on pro-abortion politicians made by Cardinal Roger Mahony, the retired Archbishop of Los Angeles, in a Vatican News interview prior to the bishops’ vote. “I very much disagree with that,” said Bishop Rhoades. “I was saddened to read that because it’s just not consistent for a Catholic to be supporting legalized abortion or funding of abortion. It’s not consistent with one’s faith.”