Here’s a story from Sunday’s Boston Globe about a priest, a pro-abortion Catholic politician, and their bishop—Sean O’Malley. Back in 1992, a parish priest informed one of his parishioners who was running for state representative that because of her pro-abortion stance she was no longer welcome to be a Eucharistic minister. The politician, Shirley Gomes, claimed that the priest had also warned her she might be refused Communion, although the priest denies that saying, correctly, that such a decision can only be made by the bishop. He does admit he might have told her that she probably shouldn’t receive it.
So Gomes went to meet with the bishop: “Shovelton said he suggested that Gomes meet with O’Malley and she agreed. He hoped O’Malley would persuade her to change her mind on abortion. She hoped O’Malley would assert her right to Communion and perhaps restore her as lay minister.” A “right” to Communion? Do we have a “right” to Communion? I don’t think we do. It’s not our property.
