Communicatio in sacris: Catholic Discipline

COMMUNICATIO IN SACRIS: CATHOLIC DISCIPLINE. In general, by CIS is meant the sharing of spiritual activities and resources with other, non-Catholic Christians. To be distinguished are CIS extrasacramentalibus (sharing in spiritual activities which are not sacraments) and CIS sacramentalibus (sharing in the sacraments), especially in the Eucharist. By other ‘non-Catholic Christians’ reference is made to Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans and Protestants. The term *Orthodox is generally used to indicate non-Catholic Eastern Churches that accept the decisions of the ecumenical councils of *Ephesus and *Chalcedon, that is, the Churches of Constantinopolitan tradition. however, for historical reasons, this term also refers to the Churches that do not accept some of the dogmatic formulations of one or the other of these councils (cf. Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, 18, no. 28) By Protestants are meant Christian faithful belonging in general to Churches and ecclesial communions that have arisen in the West under the general heading of the Reformation (cf. UR 13; Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism 98, no. 107) Among these Churches, in which Catholic structures and traditions continue to exist, the Anglican Communion holds a special place (cf. UR 13) The fundamental principle on which Catholic discipline regarding CIS is based is as follows: ‘Yet worship in common (communicatio in sacris), however, is not to be considered as a means to be used indiscriminately for the restoration of unity among Christians. There are two main principles upon which the practice of such common worship depends: first, that of the unity of the Church which ought to be expressed; and second, that of the sharing in the means of grace.

The expression of unity generally forbids common worship’ (UR 8) ‘The celebration (of the sacrament) in a concrete community is the sign of COMMUNICATIO IN SACRIS: CAThOLIC DISCIPLINE the reality of its unity in faith, worship, and community life. As well as being signs, *sacraments – and especially the Eucharist – are sources of the unity of the Christian community and of spiritual life, and are means for building them up. Thus eucharistic communion is inseparably linked to full ecclesial communion and its visible expression’ (Directory for the Application of Priniciples and Norms on Ecumenism, no. 129) Nevertheless, in addition to expressing and manifesting unity, the sacraments are a means of grace and salvation. This constitutes a valid reason why the Catholic Church permits the sharing of sacramental life with members of other Churches and ecclesial communities, the Eucharist in particular, in certain circumstances and under given conditions. In addition, in the application of this discipline, the Catholic Church takes the degree of communion in ecclesiality and sacramentality of other Churches and ecclesial communions into account. In this regard, the degree of communion in faith shared with Eastern Orthodox Churches is both considerable and worthy of note, since ‘although these Churches are separated from us, they possess true sacraments, above all – by apostolic succession – the priesthood and the Eucharist…’ (UR 15) On the other hand, ‘the ecclesial Communities (of the Reformation) separated from us lack that fullness of unity with us which should flow from baptism, and we believe that especially because of the lack of the sacrament of orders they have not preserved the genuine and total reality of the eucharistic mystery’ (UR 22)

The disciplinary norms that in particular regulate Communicatio in sacramentalibus are found in the two codes of canon law (CIC c. 844; CCEO c. 671) and explicitly in the Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, nos. 122–136. These may be summarized as follows: For the Catholic faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, it is licit to receive the sacraments of penance, holy Eucharist, and the anointing of the sick from a minister of a non-Catholic Eastern Church whenever necessity demands or a true spiritual need counsels it in order to avoid the danger of error or indifference. Nevertheless, the Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, no. 122, notes that Orthodox Churches have a more restrictive discipline in this matter that Catholics must respect. Indeed, ‘a Catholic who legitimately wishes to communicate with (non-Catholic) Eastern Christians must refrain from communicating if that Church restricts sacramental communion to its own members to the exclusion of others’ (Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, no. 124) In addition, the same directory (Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, no. 124) reminds us that ‘since practice differs between Catholics and Eastern (Orthodox) Christians in the matter of frequent communion, confession before communion and the eucharistic fast, care must be taken to avoid scandal and suspicion among Eastern Christians through Catholics not following the Eastern usage’ As for the recourse of Catholics to ministers of other Protestant Churches and ecclesial communities, it is noted that ‘on the basis of Catholic doctrine concerning the sacraments and their validity, a Catholic who finds himself or herself in the circumstances mentioned above (Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, nos.

130 and 131) must request these sacraments only from a minister in whose Church these sacraments are valid or from one who is known to be validly ordained according to the Catholic teaching on ordination’ (Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, no. 132) For Eastern non-Catholic Christian faithful, for these same reasons, Catholic ministers may administer the sacraments of penance, holy Eucharist, and the anointing of the sick to them whenever these faithful spontaneously request it and have the due dispositions. ‘In these particular cases also, due consideration should be given to the discipline of Eastern Churches for their own faithful and any suggestion of proselytism should be avoided’ (Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, no. 125) As regards Christian faithful from other non-Catholic Churches (for example, from the various Eastern communities separated from the Orthodox Church), it is not licit for Catholic ministers to administer these sacraments to them unless in the judgement of the Apostolic See they are on a par as regards the sacraments with the aforementioned Eastern Churches that do have true and valid sacraments. As for Protestant Christian faithful it is, above all, necessary to note that given the present state of relations between the Catholic Church and the ecclesial communities of the Reformation, an agreement on the sacraments and especially on orders has yet to be reached. Consequently, norms regarding the administration of the sacraments of penance, the Eucharist, and the anointing of the sick to members of these ecclesial communities are more restrictive. Only in the case of COMMUNICATIO IN SACRIS: CAThOLIC DISCIPLINE danger of death can Catholic ministers perform these.

In other cases, it is necessary for either an eparchial bishop or Synod of Bishops of a Patriarchal Church or the Council of hierarchs (for the Latin Church at the discretion of a diocesan bishop or episcopal conference) to establish the particular norms regarding other grave matters that would permit Catholic ministers to administer these sacraments to other Christians. The required conditions are ‘that the person be unable to have recourse for the sacrament desired to a minister of his or her own Church or ecclesial community, ask for the sacrament on his or her own initiative, manifest Catholic faith in this sacrament, and be properly disposed’ (Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, no. 131) In this delicate matter, it is necessary to conform to the norms of particular law enacted by bishops, episcopal conferences (in the Latin Church), and the legislative organs of the various Eastern *Churches sui iuris. Such particular norms must be established only after prior consultation with at least local competent authorities of the other Church or ecclesial community that is interested in a true reciprocity according to the doctrine and traditions of these other communities. ‘There should be a certain reciprocity since sharing in spiritual activities and resources, even with defined limits, is a contribution, in a spirit of goodwill and charity, to the growth of harmony among Christians’ (Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, no. 105) ‘Catholics ought to show a sincere respect for the liturgical and sacramental discipline of other Churches and ecclesial communities, and these in turn are asked to show the same respect for Catholic discipline.

One of the objectives of the consultation mentioned above should be a greater mutual understanding of each other’s discipline and even an agreement on how to manage a situation in which the discipline of one Church calls into question or conflicts with the discipline of another’ (Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, no. 107) texts: Pontificium Consilium ad Unitatem Christianorum Fovendam, ‘Directoire pour l’application des principes et des normes sur l’Oecuménisme, nos. 102–142’, AAS 85 (1993) 1082–1091. studies: G. Ruyssen, Eucharistie et oecuménisme, Paris 2008; D. Salachas, K. Nitkiewicz, Inter-ecclesial relations between Eastern and Latin Catholics: A Canonical-Pastoral Handbook, G. D. Gallaro (tr.), Washington DC 2009. D. ‡Salachas.

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