40 PART ONE: INTRODUCTION imperative to address this together with the church universal.”97 Obviously, the topic involved finds itself at the crossroads of pastoral responsibility on the one hand and church teaching and discipline on the other, which makes the deliberations of Cardinal Woelki and others understandable. However, as Dutch auxiliary bishop Msgr. Hendriks, member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, points out: “it is clear that drafting such a document – as far as the pastoral aim is embedded in the general terms and conditions of canon law – belongs to the responsibility and task of the bishops’ conference”.98 The question of whether this is indeed the case in this particular instance has been the prime motivation in taking the issue to Rome. The second objection is focused on the content of the proposal. Provided that the bishops’ conference is competent to implement new guidelines, the question remains if the chosen solution is in fact within the existing norms. Does the situation of mixed marriages automatically constitute the grave necessity required by canon law? The document clearly does not consider every mixed couple to meet this criterion. It explicitly states that this only applies to individual cases and that proper discernment is needed. Of course, in the end, discernment in individual cases could theoretically imply that the majority of couples is granted such permission. A third objection is closely related to the second. Although many bishops’ conferences have ruled that mixed couples can receive Communion together on the occasion of their wedding day (even though general policy often is to discourage celebrating Mass at all during mixed weddings, out of respect for all traditions involved), it is rather uncommon to extend Eucharistic hospitality beyond the ceremony. Ruth Reardon, founding member of the British Association of Interchurch Families, analyses that the Ecumenical Directory does not explicitly refer to “certain circumstances, by way of exception, and under 97 Rainer Maria Woelki, cited in Katholisch.de, “Woelki ruft im Streit um Kommunion zu Gelassenheit auf,” April 7, 2018, https://www.katholisch.de/aktuelles/aktuelle-artikel/ kommunion-fur-protestanten-woelki-erstaunt-uber-rummel. Original text in German: “dass wir denken, es sei notwendig, dies miteinander mit der Weltkirche abzustimmen” (translation: FW). 98 Jan Hendriks, “Communie voor gemengd-gehuwden? De handreiking van de Duitse bisschoppen en het antwoord van Rome,” May 16, 2018. Original text in Dutch: “Het is echter duidelijk dat het uitwerken van een dergelijk document - als de pastorale doelstelling binnen de algemene voorwaarden en bepalingen van het canoniek recht bewaard blijft - tot de bevoegdheid en taak van een bisschoppenconferentie behoort” (translation: FW).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTk4NDMw