“Guidelines for pastoral attention to Eastern-rite Catholics in Spain”: that’s the title of the document approved at the end of the 81st plenary Assembly of the Spanish bishops held from 17 to 21 November. The document explains that it is up to the parish priest of Latin rite to monitor the presence of Eastern Catholics in his parish. If “their number is small”, the bishop may appoint a priest of Latin rite to their pastoral care. But if the Catholics of Eastern rite are numerous, the Director of the Department for pastoral attention to Eastern Catholics will recommend to the bishop “the creation of a parish for all the Eastern Catholic faithful” in the diocese and, if necessary, ask for the sending of an Eastern-rite Catholic priest to serve it. But “a Latin-rite parish priest of a Eastern-rite parish, suitably prepared, may also celebrate a non-Latin liturgy: the request for such permission should be forwarded by the diocesan bishop to the Congregation for the Eastern Churches in Rome. Moreover, “the priests of the various Churches sui iuris” (i.e. the existence in the same territory of various particular Churches distinguished on the basis of the rite of their faithful), “may concelebrate the Eucharist with the due motivation and licence of the bishop, following all the prescriptions of the liturgical books of the main celebrant”. Regarding the sacrament of penance, “each faithful has the right to confess him/herself with the priest he/she prefers, even if he be of another rite”. In mixed marriages “the woman has full right to pass to the Church sui iuris of her husband and if the marriage is dissolved, may return to her previous Church sui iuris. The husband, on the other hand, has no right to switch to the Church sui iuris of his wife”.
