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Common Prayer. On the floor of St. Peters, meanwhile, the bishops continued to approve aspects of reform unforeseeable a decade ago—and to demand still more. Modifying the church's centuries-old stand against communicatio in sacris, they agreed that Catholics under certain circumstances could receive the sacraments from Orthodox priests and participate in some common prayer services with Protestants. A majority of speakers also demanded drastic revision of two schemata that council officials hoped would skate by with a minimum of debate. A timid document on the laity was denounced for emphasizing a narrowly churchly brand of Catholic action under episcopal control. Bishops also attacked a schema on the priesthood that woodenly emphasized obedience and duty rather than clerical rights.
As for the proposed fourth session—which may be called next spring—the will of the council was expressed when Brazil's Archbishop Fernando Gomes dos Santos argued that it was absolutely necessary. The response was a round of applause that the session's moderator had to gavel down.