Cardinal Arinze’s comments about CINO politicians yesterday are getting wide play. And American bishops are running for cover to avoid having to deal with the consequences.
Cardinal Francis Arinze, speaking at a news conference about a new Vatican report on liturgical practices at Mass, was asked whether “unambiguously proabortion” Catholic politicians should be denied Communion, though that issue was not addressed in the report. “Yes,” the cardinal replied.
“The person is not fit,” said Arinze, a Nigerian who leads the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, a high-level Vatican body that monitors and sets policies on church service. “If he shouldn’t receive it, then it shouldn’t be given.”
Asked specifically about Communion for Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, who supports abortion rights, Arinze declined to respond specifically. “The norm of the church is clear,” he said. “The Catholic Church exists in the United States. There are bishops there. Let them interpret it.”
I love the last part. He’s telling US bishops to stand up and be the shepherds they’re supposed to be. Can you imagine if Cardinal Arinze were elected to be the next Pope? Oh, that would be interesting. Here’s one bishop who preaches the Gospel in season and out of season and lets no one deter him.
“Cardinal Arinze refrained from making any comment on Kerry and said that needed to be left up to the US bishops conference,” the Rev. Christopher J. Coyne, a spokesman for O’Malley, said yesterday. “We’re waiting for any kind of input that the bishops’ committee is going to give.”
With all due respect to Father Coyne, did he read the same comment from Cardinal Arinze that I did? I don’t recall the Cardinal saying anything about any “bishops conference.” I believe the Cardinal was referring to the bishops themselves.
And as for “waiting for any kind of input that the bishop’s committee is going to give”—call me a simple sort, but do bishops really need to wait for a committee to tell them how to shepherd?
It is the “people of God” that now have the chance to say to there chief-shepherd of their diocese, you fullfil your duty and obligation to protect the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist from public profanation, or you will no longer get your bread and butter in the collection basket.
GOR,
My take on Cardinal Arinze’s comment was that it was effort to ‘stiffen spines’ in the American episcopate.
What spines?
USCCB needs to be dissolved, forthwith.
DPC,
Please know that you are in my prayers as you continue your discernment.
Thank you!
The right response of the Vatican should be to 1) promote to cardinal those who have the courage to preach the Gospel of Christ unafraid, and 2) to remove those who don’t. The Vatican fails and has consistently failed on both counts.