Sir, - Brian Rush's story (May 10th) of the Swiss Protestants taking communion in a Catholic church shows very plainly the huge gap between the understanding of ordinary Catholics and the official Catholic Church position. It could be argued that, as a good Catholic, one should obey church law, and not encourage non-Catholics to take communion. According to the code of Canon Law, Canon 844.4, communion should be administered to other Christians only "if the danger or death is present or if, in the judgement of the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, some other grave necessity urges it."
Most Catholics would probably have done as the gentleman did at that Easter Vigil, and encouraged his visitors to take communion. In doing so they would be going against church law. (Likewise, non-Catholics who take communion in a Catholic church could be said to be showing disrespect to their hosts, just as if they wore shoes in a mosque or bared their head in a synagogue.)
The gap between Canon Law and the attitude of ordinary Catholics in this regard is very telling. It comes back to the old question: who exactly is the church? The lawmakers, or the people? - Yours, etc.,
Grainne Duggan, Viewmount, Waterford.