Bishop Bernard Schmitt of Wheeling, West Virginia, joins his brother bishops Burke, Bruskewitz, Sheridan, et al in deciding to take canon 915 seriously.
I join with Pope John Paul II, who has reiterated the constant teaching of the church that all legislators have a “grave and clear obligation to oppose” any law that attacks human life.
It is morally inconsistent for them, as for any Catholic, to promote such laws or to vote for them; it is a grave, objective evil for them to vote against laws that would restrict abortion and other attacks on innocent human life.
The bishop was writing his commentary in response to an incident in which a priest of the diocese gave the invocation at Kerry-Edwards event and some commentators took that to mean an endorsement by Bishop Schmitt. But the bishop says the priest spoke without his prior knowledge and permission and would not have given it had he known.
Maybe he takes the Canon seriously, Dom, but I fail to see an injunction which forbids giving Communion in that letter.
Ninenot,
If he is taking it seriously, he would de facto have to withhold Holy Communion. If he is in line with Bruskewitz, Burke, Sheridan, et al., then he will be denying Holy Communion.
Thankfully, most Bishop’s will not actually have to do this. There are a few, in liberal, metropolitan areas who may have to, but that certainly is not the majority.
I would be more interested to see the progression of Cardinal Mahoney, Archbishop O’Malley, Cardinal, McCarrick…..
I am still waiting for a definitive statement from the Holy Father that says, “Bishop X, you must apply Canon 915.”
That hasn’t happened and that is the problem. Bishop’s still have autonomy and that allows for interpretation. Until then, we must pray.
Cam
We already have a definitive statement from Cardinal Ratzinger. As prefect of the CDF, he carries the authority of the Holy Father in this matter.
Not to put TOO fine a point on it, Cam, but the Bishops have the autonomy which allows them to disobey.
They do that, regularly. If you wish, you can call that “pastoral,” and in a few extreme examples that may be the case.
But they undermine their own authority in disobedience, and undermine the rule of law (whether lower- or upper-case)
It’s very serious.
Dom, could you quote the text from the letter that led you to believe that he was going to deny Holy Communion to a pro-abortion politician?
I didn’t read anything in the article referring to Holy Communion / Holy Eucharist.