Sir, - The basic difference between Cardinal Desmond Connell and Archbishop Walton Empey is that Dr Empey believes that the Eucharist in which he is inviting others to share is a Valid Eucharist, celebrated according to the same mind and in the same manner (substantially) as the Church of Christ has always celebrated it, whereas Desmond Connell does not. For him there has been a break in tradition by the Anglican Church from the tradition to which the Roman Catholic Church has stayed faithful.
What is more, Cardinal Connell believes that all true Roman Catholic Christians must agree with him in this. That is why he can claim that for them, as faithful RCs, to receive Holy Communion at an Anglican (Church of Ireland) service is a "sham", i.e. they are pretending to receive the body of Christ, whereas they know they are not.
It does not take any great leap of imagination to see why Archbishop Empey, or any other representative of his Church, could not accept this point of view, much less try to enforce it in their rules about participation by others in their Eucharist.
Another difference between the two is that Cardinal Connell sees sharing Holy Communion as the final seal on achieved unity between our divided Christian Churches, whereas Archbishop Walton Empey is probably more inclined to see intercommunion as a means or help towards this final goal. I suspect this latter is a more recent view of things, which some, but not all, Roman Catholics or even Christians would share. Desmond Connell's view, on the other hand is, I think, more in line with the oldest tradition of the Christian Church. I can't imagine people like Athanasius or Gregory or Chrysostom agreeing to share the Eucharist among dissident groups in the Church before their dissent was resolved and Church Unity restored. - Yours, etc.,
Archie Byrne OP, STD,Prior, St Malachy's Priory, Anne Street, Dundalk, Co Louth.