As expected, pro-abortion politicians from the U.S. received communion during the Pope’s inaugural mass yesterday.
Of course, this is not a uniquely American problem. Countries from all over the world sent delegations to the inaugural mass and probably more than a few contained pro-abortion pols. Now I don’t know if any announcement was made at the hugely attended mass about those, in general terms, that are not prepared to receive communion should abstain. They do this at Christmas and weddings now, thankfully, so I hope they did it there.
At the very least, the Pope avoided the dreaded photo-op of giving communion to one of these pro-abortion pols by not distributing communion himself.
But this issue has to come to a head at some point and perhaps Pope Francis is the one to do it. LiveAction reports that as the former Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio, Pope Francis wrote that more than mere reminders not to receive may be needed.
The Catholic Church is clear on its stance against abortion. Yet denying Communion to those who are known to facilitate in an abortion is not always as clear as it should be. Such situations are at times dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Often, the pro-abortion Catholics in question are reminded or encouraged not to partake in Holy Communion. In going against the Church, in these cases by facilitating in an abortion, a person is excommunicated by his or her own actions. More than a mere reminder or sense of encouragement may be needed.
The text itself states:
“we should commit ourselves to ‘eucharistic coherence’, that is, we should be conscious that people cannot receive holy communion and at the same time act or speak against the commandments, in particular when abortion, euthanasia, and other serious crimes against life and family are facilitated. This responsibility applies particularly to legislators, governors, and health professionals.”
So just perhaps, Pope Francis, now so appreciated by the pro-abortion left, may be the Pope to finally put them in their place.
March 20, 2013 at 1:25 pm
I was disappointed that they did. We need leadership that makes clear that such a thing as sacrilege against the Eucharist.
March 20, 2013 at 1:42 pm
This terrible, damaging scandal is so much the worse because the Holy See was in control of the organisation of attendees, etc. and knew who was coming and the notoriety of some. This was wholly foreseeable and avoidable, therefore the Holy See has much responsibility for any legalisers or supporters of abortion, etc., that received Our Lord. Where's Fr Guarnizo when you need him?!!!
March 20, 2013 at 2:01 pm
I remember when Ted Kennedy took Communion at a Mass in the US. 30 days later he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Wondering if there is a precedent for this kind of . . . oh wait,
"So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep." I Corinthians 11: 27-30
March 20, 2013 at 2:01 pm
I agree that they probably shouldn't have received Communion, but on the other hand, how do we know that they have had Reconcilation and in fact can receive it? That would be a private matter between them and their confessor, and not something we as member of the public would be privy to.
If these individuals were truly Catholic and profess to be so, their own conscience and informed judgment *should* prevent them from receiving the Eucharist. I'm not saying it does, but it should. I found myself in that position over another grave matter and didn't receive the Eucharist for nearly 2 years until the matter was rectified.
March 20, 2013 at 2:04 pm
As they receive unworthily, St Paul reminds us that they call the wrath of God upon themselves and become answerable for the cross. In all charity, our angst would be better spent praying for their conversion and in reminding them what they do in presenting themselves for communion. In this the shepherds need to do a better job.
March 20, 2013 at 2:35 pm
Carolyn, the difference is that your sin probably wasn't a manifest and repeated public sin. It would actually require a willingness to renounce their prior position in public before they should be readmitted to communion because otherwise they cause scandal.
However, it was as I feared it would be, just as the homily, as good as it was, was much weaker than it could have been. Pope Francis had the bully pulpit, and could have made some important points without even getting really vitriolic. If he had included among those to be protected the unborn, the children being exposed to violence and pornography, and people at the end of life it would have gone a long way to making the point crystal clear. If you've read some of his earlier homilies you know what he meant when he was talking about the Herods out there, but it was really easy for someone who hadn't read that to believe that he was moving away from Benedict and John Paul's emphasis on the most vulnerable among us.
It's going to be so much easier for Pope Francis to go for style over substance, in the same way that it was easy for Pope Benedict in a different way to go for style over substance. It's so much easier for a Pope to make a stylistic statement than it is for him to really say what needs to be said and it's even harder for him do what needs to be done. Can you imagine a Pope truly attempting to get the Vatican out of the banking business for example, or actually reining in those bishops and cardinals who have been sloppy at best and heterodox at worst in their teaching and in their policies?
If even Benedict who had spent years in the Curia wasn't able to accomplish what needed to be done, I honestly fear that Pope Francis has a herculean task ahead of him. He desperately needs our prayers that he won't flee before the wolves.
Father Bill is right though, shepherds need to do a better job because it truly is not charitable to simply wink at someone who's taking communion when they have taken such strong pro-abortion positions, it's also not charitable to simply wink at it when someone has denied a belief in the Real Presence as Nancy Pelosi has. These people are harming their own souls each time they receive Communion in a state of mortal sin. We need to pray for bold shepherds, top to bottom.
March 20, 2013 at 3:21 pm
The bigger problem with this phenomenon is that such people who receive Our Lord are not only endangering their own souls, they are endangering many souls who are aware of the sacrilege, and damaging the reputation of those priests, Bishops, etc. who appear to have permitted it. And bringing the authenticity of Church teaching into disrepute.
March 20, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Pope Francis failed big time to act as a pope. He knew pro-aborts were coming to this ceremony and he could have prevented it. By failing to do so, he showed himself as a weakling, and sucker punched those of us who were hoping for a strong pope.
March 20, 2013 at 3:31 pm
@Steve Dalton: What was he supposed to do, stop the Mass? Bodily throw Biden and Pelosi out? Telepathically determine the identity of politicians he very well may never have seen before?
Neither Biden nor Pelosi is actually all that prominent in our politics, from the standpoint of people who do not live here. Do you know what Hu Jintao looks like? How about Angela Merkel? Yet both of them are a thousand times more important than Pelosi or Biden.
It's the individual's responsibility to abstain from communion, those administering it cannot realistically be expected to identify everyone who presents themselves unworthily.
March 20, 2013 at 3:32 pm
How exactly will he "put them in their place" when he won't discipline them? With the marvelous speeches that cross his lips? Maybe he could have taken five out from bowing to Robert Mugabe in the VIP section yesterday to show Pelosi and Biden the other side of the door.
#popefail
March 20, 2013 at 3:34 pm
"Neither Biden nor Pelosi is actually all that prominent in our politics."
Do you mean that seriously? Are we going to treat yet another pope like an idiot man-child that never reads the paper or picks up a book?
March 20, 2013 at 3:40 pm
The man's been poor for a week. It really want his job to personally look up the abortion & gay marriage position of every dignitary in attendance for Pete's sake.
March 20, 2013 at 4:41 pm
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March 20, 2013 at 4:43 pm
Poor = pope, want = wasn't
March 20, 2013 at 6:00 pm
The responsibility of the Pope is to give general direction to make sure those directly responsible for dealing with delegates from sstates to the minutely-organised inauguration Mass, know they have to see that all foreseeable and avoidable sacrilege of the Eucharist is avoided. If this egregious scandal and damage to the Church can be avoided anywhere, at anytime, it can be avoided on such a major occasion as this. For one, all delegates should have been explicitly briefed on this prior to the Mass. Such occasions are choreographed in detail down to meeting each delegate prior to being lead into St Peter's.
March 20, 2013 at 3:57 pm
Father Bill, with respect, the fact that these people–not just these two–continue to receive, and continue to publicly espouse support for abortion and contraception IS inescapably a scandal. It is misleading to others, and may lead them into similar sin.
March 20, 2013 at 4:30 pm
@ Sophia's Wisdom: Pelosi and Biden not well known?! On Mars yes, on Earth, very well known.
If he wanted to, he could have denied them Holy Communion. No priest in God's church is obligated to give it to a rank heretic, especially known pro-aborts.
March 20, 2013 at 5:28 pm
@Steve Dalton: Get my name right, it's Sophia's Favorite.
And no, actually, the vice-president and a random parliamentarian, even of the US, are not well-known to the inhabitants of any other country. It is a near mathematical certainty you couldn't pick the top executives of any other country, except perhaps Russia, out of a lineup. Do you even recognize the name Li Yuanchao?
@Blackrep: Same story. Do you honestly think people for whom Obama is just "that one country's president" know what Joe Biden look like? Do you know what Dmitri Medvedev looks like? Do you know what some random member of the Russian parliament looks like—even a former majority leader?
March 20, 2013 at 6:00 pm
SCANDALOUS!!! They did just to show how disobediant they could be!!! THIS WAS SATANS DIRECT CHALLANGE TO OUR HOLY FATHER BY ATTEMPTING TO RECEIVE THE HOLY COMMUNION DIRECTLY FROM HIM!!!! What a trap! A poison cup of offering from these snakes!!! THANK YOU BVM for keeping Pope Fransis safe. From one soul who is very proud of your lovely feet and what you can do to the enemies of your Son with them.
March 20, 2013 at 6:21 pm
Pro-abort Catholic is an oxymoron. Anyone who participates in abortion has excommunicated themselves.
March 20, 2013 at 6:24 pm
Lynda said: "For one, all delegates should have been explicitly briefed on this prior to the Mass." It is also the duty of the individual's bishop to inform them of their inability to receive and I am sure this is going to be the case.
March 20, 2013 at 6:47 pm
I just would like to point out that whilst Biden and Pelosi should have refrained from communion, that anyone in a state of mortal sin is to do so. As we live in a country where few go to confession and all go to communion ( and yes, I do preach on this many many times)…a country where mortal sin is seen as a dinosaur (and yes again..those words do come up often here) and we're too busy feeling self-esteem to be humble to entertain the fact we might sin. I would assume since those here who have seen fit to attack the pope for giving communion to such people are themselves in a state of grace when they receive?
March 20, 2013 at 6:50 pm
I say this because as I was teaching the 7th and 8th graders this morning about the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, given to us in the sacramental life of the Church that such fruits might be fully apparent in our responses to what happened yesterday, no?
March 20, 2013 at 7:08 pm
So, it looks like we're going to do this again? Biden is the most prominent Catholic of the most powerful nation on earth, second in line for the most prominent position on earth, whose abortion position is the most infamous, and most imitated on the planet, whose reception on communion is the subject of articles worldwide… amazing.
It always astonishes me, this ability to render excuse after excuse for the papacy, so we don't have to confront the real truth about our hierarchy. They know. They overlook. Comfort, collegiality, and ease are more important than the nasty little subject of abortion. So, open the VIP section wide, and let the counterfeit brotherly love flow!
And did anyone notice that I wrote the murderous name of ROBERT MUGABE in my post, and did anyone not vomit? Mugabe is unwelcome for his crimes in the whole of the EU, yet the Vatican sent him a personal priest-escort to manage his bypass of the EU ban at the airport. This priest announced to him: "On behalf of Pope Francis, welcome to the Vatican, welcome to the Holy See." He was escorted to the VIP section (and yes, the Pope knows everyone in it). For this bloody tyrant and racist, a place of honor was prepared. This is a man famous for chopping off hands and feet of enemies, stealing the land of whites, and admiring the ingenuity of Hitler. A manifestly evil and unrepentant man. Plus, he was treated to a homily that showcased the environment! How comfortable we all are, liberals and conservatives alike, with that tame little topic. So soothing. Who would be disturbed by a homily about the poor? The environment? Taking care of each other? As long as we don't verge on dangerous specifics that require us to do anything real. As long as the homily we hear is but an empty glass that we fill with our own desires, with progressives and orthodox alike coming away unruffled. Does it satisfy? No, not really. It's not real food, but candy floss, melting from the memory in the space of an hour. Soap bubbles.
So, ladies and gentlemen, habemus papam! The time of our timid speculation is over. The time of acceptance has begun. Whether we do it by squarely facing what we see, or by spinning a fairy tale is, I suppose, up to us.
I just can't live in a world that's not real, no matter what pain it brings.