You’re missing my point. People can call themselves whatever they want. It doesn’t mean they are Catholic, or are the Catholic Church. If they were I could go to the PNCC with no problems. But that’s not the case
Referring to your quote of JPII when he said
“'different Ecclesial Communions: Orthodox, Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, members of the United Church of Christ and of other Reformed Churches, Disciples of Christ, members of the Peace Churches, Pentecostals, members of the Polish National Catholic Church .”
JPII called them as they want to be called.
Referring to the link you’ve posted
usccb.org/comm/backgrounders/questions.shtml
It’s highlighting rules for papal mass As you know there are 1000’s of people at papal masses. But specifically, the bishops were using Canon law. For Catholics seeking the sacraments in an Eastern Church and the Eastern Christian seeking the sacraments in the Catholic Church here are the rules they referenced.
.
canons (emphasis mine)
Can. 844 §1. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly to Catholic members of the Christian faithful alone, who likewise receive them licitly from Catholic ministers alone, without prejudice to the prescripts of §§2, 3, and 4 of this canon,
§2. Whenever
- necessity requires it or
- true spiritual advantage suggests it,
- and provided that danger of error or of indifferentism is avoided,
- the Christian faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister
are permitted to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose Churches these sacraments are valid.
§3. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick licitly to members of
- Eastern Churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church if they seek such on their own accord and
- are properly disposed.
This is also valid for members of other Churches which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition in regard to the sacraments as these Eastern Churches.
§4. If the danger of death is present or if, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, some other grave necessity urges it, Catholic ministers administer these same sacraments licitly also to other Christians not having full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who seek such on their own accord, provided that they manifest Catholic faith in respect to these sacraments and are properly disposed.
Note:
Re: canon 844.2 and 844.3
844.3 doesn’t undo the requirements in 844.2 for Eastern Chistians NOT in communion with Rome that Catholics must follow in 844.2. .
i.e. for EO and PNCC etc to receive in the Catholic Church,
- necessity requires it,
- true spiritual advantage is sought,
- it’s impossible for them to approach their own ministers.
Needless to say they must also be in the state of grace meaning not in mortal sin just like Catholics when they receive the Eucharist.
You can see that communion is not wide open, and there are specific restrictions in place