Pope John Paul II's insistence that the faithful cannot receive Holy Communion outside the Roman Catholic Church should not be viewed an attack ecumenism, according to Catholic Communications Office in Ireland.
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Pope John Paul II prays during the celebration of Chrismal Mass inside the Vatican Basilica today. Photo: Reuters/Max Rossi
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In a new encyclical - a letter of instruction to priests and bishops - issued today, the pontiff says the true meaning of the Eucharist is being devalued and has warned Catholics that services of other Christian denominations cannot substitute for Catholic mass.
But Father Martin Clarke, a spokesman for the Catholic Communications Office says the encyclical is a restating of Roman Catholic teaching on the Eucharist that recognises the advances of ecumenism in recent years.
In the encyclical, the Pope criticses "unacceptable doctrine and practice" in the way mass and Holy Communion is celebrated in some parts of the world, saying it has led to "confusion" among Catholics.
"In some places the practice of Eucharistic adoration has been almost completely abandoned," he says in the 14th encyclical of his pontificate.
He said there had been "fruitful dialogue in the area of ecumenism" but the ambiguous attitude of non-Roman Catholic denominations towards the Eucharist meant that Communion in these churches lacked "that fullness of unity with us".
"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.
"The Catholic faithful, therefore, while respecting the religious convictions of these separated brethren, must refrain from receiving the communion distributed in their celebrations, so as not to condone an ambiguity about the nature of the Eucharist and, consequently, to fail in their duty to bear clear witness to the truth," the Pope said.
His view of ecumenism also extends to questioning the value of such services to Catholics: "It is unthinkable to substitute for Sunday Mass ecumenical celebrations of the word or services of common prayer with Christians from the aforementioned Ecclesial Communities, or even participation in their own liturgical services."
But Fr Clarke told ireland.comthe pontiff's words not meant to be heavy handed and should not cause offence to ecumenists. "There is considerable reference to the movement towards unity but in any fair debate one must be clear about one's position.
"I think the encyclical is saying that inter-communion would short circuit the debate ... it is something that should reflect unity achieved within the Catholic Church but it is not fully achieved between the Catholic Church and other Christian churches.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, said he welcomed "the Pope's reaffirmation of his 'burning desire' for common Eucharistic celebration. Thisis an area of work which continues to be important for relations between Anglicans and Roman Catholics and we continue to work theologically on this."
The Pope will sign the encyclical at the Mass of the Lord's Supper at the Vatican this evening.
Meanwhile, Church of Ireland Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Robin Eames has issued an Easter message saying it is time for people "move on in religious understandings of each other".
The Archbishop said: "This Easter this sad and divided world learns again the Christian message ofthe Resurrection.
"We must take our disappointments, our frustrations, our anger, our hurt and our memories of the past - and under God find the courage and the strength to move on.
In politics, in religious understandings of each other, in community issues and in personal life - we must move on. The past is too full of the burdens of failure and pain."