Did St. Louis Archbishop get it right in '04?
The headlines were so predictable I almost didn't read the stories: "Pope Opens Trip with Remarks Against Abortion" (New York Times) and "Pope Stresses Opposition to Abortion" (Associated Press).
Is the Pope Catholic?
But there seems to be some news here. On his flight to Brazil, the Pope made some remarks that seemed to condemn not only women who have abortions and the doctors who provide them, but also the polticians who vote for legalization of abortion--as they did recently in Mexico, providing for legal abortions up to 12 weeks gestation.
Papal spokesman (when it's the Vatican, you can use the gender-specific term) Federico Lombardi immediately tried to soften the possible implication of the Pope's words. But then, well, I'll let the New York Times tell the story:
The pope's spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, quickly issued a clarification that played down his words, but then issued a statement approved by the pope that seemed to confirm a new gravity on politicians who allow abortion."Legislative action in favor of abortion is incompatible with participation in the Eucharist," the statement said, and politicians who vote that way should "exclude themselves from communion."
So, this turns the clock back to the 2004 election controversy over St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke telling pro-choice Catholic presidential candidate John Kerry that he should not receive communion when campaigning on Burke's turf. If memory serves, Washington's Cardinal Theodore McCarrick tried to soften the potential impact of Burke's statements. But now that Benedict has spoken, it looks like Burke may have been right.
The automatic self-excommunication that applies to women who have abortions and their doctors also applies to legislators. This doesn't mean that priests are supposed to become the Communion police, but it does mean that the Church considers it a pretty grievous thing for a Catholic politician who has voted to legalize abortion to present him or herself to receive Communion.
Christianity Today's June 2004 editorial on the dispute between Burke and Kerry can be read in the CT Library (paid archive).
Posted by David Neff on May 10, 2007 7:14AM
Comments
Some folks (some of them nominally Catholic folks) do not understand that ALL Catholics who have sin on their hearts from which they have not repented are obliged to abstain from the Eucharist. A woman who had an abortion and feels that it was not sin should not take the Eucharist, just as a man who is unrepentedly adulterous shouldn't take the Eucharist, just as a woman who has not reconciled with her brother or sister in Christ shouldn't take the Eucharist. One must be in a right relationship with God in order to partake of God's Body and Blood. I believe that this is also the teaching of many Protestant churches.
Posted by: Laura at May 10, 2007
Funny... I don't see the Pope refusing communion to those who support the death penalty, which is also is clearly opposed to the tenets of the Catholic doctrine.
Posted by: dave at May 10, 2007
dave:
Despite the fact there are bishops who oppose the necessity of the death penalty, the Catholic Church does not morally condemn it. As such, those who support the death penalty are not in a state of mortal sin.
Posted by: Roger at May 10, 2007
There's a distinction to be made between excommunication and abstaining from Communion. Being denied or abstaining from Communion is NOT excommunication. Excommunication means not even being able to attend Mass or any sacraments at all. It's a severe penalty meant to bring the person to repentance.
Actually procuring an abortion brings automatic excommunication. Voting for it doesn't, but it does require that the person go to Confession, be absolved and then make public reparation.
So yes, Abp Burke was right all along. Any canon lawyer worth his salt could have told you that. One didn't have to wait for the pope's word on the matter for it to be clear.
Posted by: Thomas Szyszkiewicz at May 10, 2007
Yawn...
Posted by: Alan Paul at May 11, 2007
It is amazing how fake Catholics like Kennedy-Kerry-Pelosi can thumb their noses at their Church with impunity, can vote the pro-death slate and speak out for stopping the heartbeats of the unborn. They should have been booted out of the Church decades ago but liberals always seem to "get a pass" on morality. What would the secular libmedia say to change the demo-diapers if this happened? Another round of Catholic Church bashing one would guess.
Posted by: Doug Schexnayder, Ph.D. at May 13, 2007
We are admonished to not receive communion in an unworthy manner. However, a woman who has confessed her sin to God and is forgiven, is not unworthy. It seems that the pope is not familiar with God's total forgiveness for sin. And let it be remembered that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. If a woman who has aborted her child remains unfit to receive communion for the rest of her life, then so is the pope unworthy for he, too, has sinned.
Posted by: John at May 16, 2007
Doug, what about fake Republicans? If communion is denied to pro choice voters then what about Republican appointed Supreme Court Justices who kept abortion legal? In 1993 the majority Republican appointed U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed Roe vs. Wade as legal. The Supreme Court remains majority Republican and abortion remains legal.
We are not going to fall for that campaign & election dishonesty by Repubs anymore!
Posted by: Steve at August 16, 2007
While abortion most certainly is evil as evil can be! However, how can this nation that is now the mass grave of 50+ million of unborn babies while daily thousands more are butchered, than go all over the world and at gun point, teach about human rights? Yes, prolifers but prowar at the same time is like trying to mix oil with water. Yes, Satan likes that from Christian Conservatives, as they fully support George W. who claims that his hero is Jesus, while threatwning ever other country to bow low to America, while itself a murderous nation of the complete innocent ones. Yes, Mr. Hitler hated the Jews and so he went about murdering them, so does America murder its own innocent ones because it loves them or what? Yes, America is insulting God to high heavens, in its pursuit of material gain, while at the same time it is a mureerous nation itself.
Posted by: H. D. Schmidt at February 28, 2008
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