Pope, CDF Reject Intercommunion Between Catholics and Protestants

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VATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) - The Vatican, under the express direction of Pope Francis, is rejecting the possibility of intercommunion between Catholics and Protestants.

According to a report released Wednesday by kath.net, "well-informed Vatican sources" confirm that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) — "with express papal approval" — rejected a proposal by the German bishops to allow non-Catholic spouses of Catholics to receive Holy Communion.

The German bishops had offered the possibility of intercommunion in a February 22 handout. According to the announcement by Cdl. Reinhard Marx, president of the German bishops' conference, the proposal was based on Canon 844, which allows for the possibility of Communion to non-Catholics in cases of emergency. Marx argued that married couples who cannot receive Holy Communion together could face a "serious spiritual emergency" that could threaten their marriage and harm the children.

Seven German bishops broke rank with their fellow prelates in early April, asking the Vatican to intervene and reject the proposal. And former head of the CDF, German Cdl. Gerhard Mueller, condemned the handout as a "rhetorical trick," claiming the bishops were using Canon 844 in a way it was never intended to be used.

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