This comes as no surprise.
The prefect of the Apostolic Signature, Archbishop Raymond Burke, said this week that Catholics, especially politicians who publically defend abortion, should not receive Communion, and that ministers of Communion should be responsibly charitable in denying it to them if they ask for it, "until they have reformed their lives."
Obey, Kennedy, Kerry, Durbin, Barrett,.....
...he referred to "public officials who, with knowledge and consent, uphold actions that are against the Divine and Eternal moral law. For example, if they support abortion, which entails the taking of innocent and defenseless human lives. A person who commits sin in this way should be publicly admonished in such a way as to not receive Communion until he or she has reformed his life," the archbishop said.
"If a person who has been admonished persists in public mortal sin and attempts to receive Communion, the minister of the Eucharist has the obligation to deny it to him. Why? Above all, for the salvation of that person, preventing him from committing a sacrilege," he added.
"We must avoid giving people the impression that one can be in a state of mortal sin and receive the Eucharist," the archbishop continued. "Secondly, there could be another form of scandal, consisting of leading people to thinkthat the public act that this person is doing, which until now everyone believed was a serious sin, is really not that serious - if the Church allows him or her to receive Communion."
"If we have a public figure who is openly and deliberately upholding abortion rights and receiving the Eucharist, what will the average person think? He or she could come to believe that it up to a certain point it is okay to do away with an innocent life in the mother's womb," he warned.
That's clear and simple.
Ya think it's clear and simple enough for the Wisconsin Bishops to implement? Ya think that the Wisconsin Catholic Conference will issue a letter (or two, or 20) warning certain folks about their aborto-support?
Paging Abp. Timothy Dolan, Bp. Morlino, Bp. Zubic, Bp. Listecki, Bp. Fliss...
HT: The Jester
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Now go after those who support the death penalty. How about those who violate the church's stance on helping those less fortunate, rather than ignoring and berating them.
How about those who continue to support the illegal war in Iraq?
Oh, that would be too consistent.
In order:
1) The DP is not a direct violation of nature's (or God's) law;
2) Charity cannot be mandated; this is the meaning of the term "one cannot legislate morality;"
3) The war is a prudential judgment. YOU say "it is illegal." But that's not the considered opinion of others.
Summarily: abortion is a 'non-negotiable' item in the Church's moral schema. That's why it gets this attention.
Well said, Dad.
Bp. Zubic's already gone - back to Pittsburgh. Perhaps his successor, Bp. Ricken from Cheyenne will demonstrate more public fortitude...
How about denying the sacraments to those who support an adulterer for president?
"Ministers of Communion" refers to those ordained: Deacons or Priests. Extra-Ordinary Ministers of Communion have no right to deny anyone communion. It is only the right and duty of an ordained minister. This distinction needs to be made very clear.
Too bad Burke is no longer in charge of a diocese. Now what he wants cannot be enforced. It looks like he would like communion ministers to listen to him instead of their own bishops.
Yes, FC, that's the way "hierarchy" works.
And it worked very well, indeed, when Rembert Weakland contradicted Rome, as he often did.
Real Catholics paid attention to Rome.
How about denying the sacraments to those who support an adulterer for president?
Nice try, Jay, but there's a difference. We know, for example, that Pelosi et. al. support abortion because they make public statements pertaining to their support.
We do not know if John McCain has made proper reconciliation - that's between him and God.
Therefore, we can vote for him with a clear conscience.
Abortion on the other hand has always been a deal-breaker according to Catholic teaching.
Obama will never get my vote and those Catholics/Christians who *do* vote for him and his pro-abortion record will have to answer for that one day - they know what they're doing and what they're violating.
Nice try. Care to take another shot?
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