Communicatio in Sacramentis and Catholic-Protestant Couples

Abstract

According to the indication of the pontifical magisterium from Saint Paul VI to Francis, in the sharing of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, in the case of mixed couples, the general norms existing in the matter must be observed. This was reaffirmed in AL, 247, even though, in the work of the Synod of Bishops on the family, there was no lack of proposals of special rules for such couples. Nevertheless, this indication and the general norms themselves are, in practice, rendered void by certain forms of Eucharistic sharing in mixed Catholic-Reformed marriages approved and, in some way, promoted by indications issued by some Episcopal Conferences and by some Bishops, clearly contrary to the pontifical directive, to the ecclesial norms in the matter and, in some cases, to the divine law on the communicatio in sacris declared by OE, 26.