Perspectief 2016-34

2016-34 Eucharistic hospitality 55 Com ment The term intercommunion specifies none of these distinctions, which indeed makes it a vague term which doesn’t describe accurately the cases that we have discussed here. We argue therefore not to take the term intercommunion as a starting point, but instead to depart from the term Eucharistic hospitality. As we will demonstrate, the term intercommunion then makes sense as a specific form of Eucharistic hospitality. A more detailed description of the situation as we encountered in our cases is delivered by Cardinal Willebrands, following the definition of the Second Vatican Council. The Fathers of Vatican II chose to speak of “worship in common ( communicatio in sacris )” 17 in the decree on ecumenism Unitatis redintegratio . Cardinal Willebrands, who was closely involved in drafting the decree, prefers to speak of admission to communion as interpretation of communicatio in sacris , “since it describes the case where one church, under precise and determined conditions, admits members of another church to its Eucharistic communion.” 18 This makes clear that with regard to the mentioned distinctions, the Catholic Church starts from an individual, extraordinary, and unilateral definition of the practice. 19 The description admission to communion includes fundamental aspects, as it:  articulates the position of the receiving person as not in full communion with the celebrating community;  acknowledges the exceptional nature of the participation of the person in question and therefore the need for permission to receive communion; 17 Unitatis redintegratio , no. 8. 18 Johannes Willebrands quoted in Myriam Wijlens, Sharing the Eucharist , p. XVII. 19 Cf. for the exact conditions for admission to communion PCPCU, Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism (Vatican website: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_25031 993_principles-and-norms-on-ecumenism_en.html, 25 March 1993, accessed 24 October 2016), § 130- 131 .