Greg Burke, Director of the Vatican Press Office, confirmed the authenticity of a letter published June 4 on the Italian blog Settimo Cielo.
The letter, signed by Cardinal-designate Luis Ladaria, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, states in-part that “the Holy Father has reached the conclusion that the document (guidelines authored by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Germany allowing Protestants married to Catholics to receive Holy Communion) has not matured enough to be published.”
Ladaria had hosted a meeting with representatives of the German Bishops, including supporters and opponents, along with members from the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity as well as officials from the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.
A Vatican statement issued at the end of the meeting said, “Pope Francis appreciates the ecumenical commitment of the German bishops and asks them to find, in a spirit of ecclesial communion, a result as unanimously as possible.”
In the letter just published today, Ladaria states that he spoke to Pope Francis specifically about the proposed guidelines and the early May meeting on two occasions.
The Prefect indicates that the German Bishops’ Conference guidelines raise a series of problems of “notable importance”, namely three: the question has relevance for the Universal Church, the proposal affects ecumenical relations with other churches, and Canon 844 specifically legislates those circumstances under which Holy Communion may be legitimately administered to non-Catholics.
Ladaria letter states that “ competent dicasteries of the Holy See already have been charged with producing a timely clarification of such questions on the level of the universal Church.” He states further that “it appears opportune to leave to the Diocesan Bishop the judgment about the existence of a ‘grave necessity'” that would permit Christians of other denominations to receive the Eucharist at a Catholic Mass.
So, what does Francis curious remark about the “maturity” of the German guidelines along with Cardinal-designate Ladaria’s letter mean and how will it effect the judgment of the German Bishops?
The day Ladaria’s letter was published on the Italian blogsite, the Holy Father met at the Vatican with a delegation from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany.
The importance of this meeting and its influence upon the Holy Father’s subsequent actions can not be underestimated.
Almost certainly, the Holy Father was besieged by protests from the Evangelical Lutherans in attendance who voiced their bewilderment and outrage that the German Bishops would make such a decision without having engaged in any serious dialogue with Protestant leaders.
The Holy Father intimated such saying, ““No ecumenical dialogue can advance if we remain stationary. We must walk, progress - not impetuously running ahead to reach a hoped-for finish line, but walking together with patience under the gaze of God.”
Yet, by leaving the decision up to individual Diocesan Bishops, the Holy Father has assuredly passed the buck regarding the proposal back to the Bishops who proposed it in the first place.
It is known that the vast majority of the members of the German Bishops’ Conference had voted in favor of publishing the guidelines.
Ladaria’s letter simply allows that majority to liberally introduce the practice in their particular dioceses without seeking further guidance or direction from the Holy See.
In effect, the German Bishops’ who proposed the guidelines will allow their application, the German Bishops who opposed them will prohibit them, and the Holy See will be able to wash its hands of the matter.
Protestant leaders will be left with no recourse other than to encourage their members not to receive Holy Communion at Catholic Masses and ecumenism will have taken a serious step backwards.
Whether any of this was inspired or guided by the Holy Spirit is a question that is certainly debatable.
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