Top church law expert says Catholics have right to receive Eucharist

Published: 2005-10-11

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While no one has a right to claim God's gifts, Catholics do have a right to receive the Eucharist from the Catholic Church, said the Vatican's top expert on church law. Cardinal Julian Herranz, president of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, spoke Oct. 10 to the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist. Whether the faithful have a right to receive the Eucharist and, if they do, what the church must do to ensure there are enough priests to celebrate Mass was a recurring topic of discussion at the Oct. 2-23 synod. Italian Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice, the synod's recording secretary, had opened the synod saying the Eucharist was a gift, not a right, implying that a lack of priests was a motive for prayer, not for changing the church's discipline on priestly celibacy to ensure greater access to the Eucharist. The Vatican released summaries of the bishops' talks and provided briefings on their full content.

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