Courtney McGrailDear Editor, Fr Oliver Skelly says (IC Letters 29/01/2015): “It has been brought to my attention that in certain priest-less parishes in Germany and Switzerland, when a priest has turned up to celebrate Mass, he has been told ‘No, thank you Father, we have our Communion service’.”
Did he ask his informant whether the priest told those present that, if necessary, he would happily defer the celebration until after the Communion service had served those whose usual commitments made it impossible for them to be there for his entire Mass?
Fr Skelly also says: “Confusion between Communion services and Holy Mass can lead to a culture of neo-Protestantism where the ordained minister – representing the High Priest Jesus Christ – is surplus to requirements.”
It can, if Catholic priests haven’t so informed well enough (as most surely normally will have) Catholics dependent on them for related information. We need but accept the reason (on account of which the beforehand co-operation of ordained Catholic priests is essential rather than surplus) why Catholic Communion services are radically different from Protestant ones.
Yours etc.,
Joseph F. Foyle,
Ranelagh, Dublin 6.