Cardinal Ratzinger wants to meet with the committee of US bishops considering how to deal with pro-abortion politicians. (Yes, I know it’s a wider-ranging committee but it’s an easier shorthand, because that should be the real issue.) However, Bishop Donald Pelotte of Gallup, New Mexico, says that Ratzinger is unlikely to satisfy those of us who wants a strict application of canon 915.
During their meeting, Cardinal Ratzinger said church leaders should be cautious about refusing Communion to Catholic politicians who oppose church teachings on abortion and other pro-life issues, Bishop Pelotte told Catholic News Service.
Although Ratzinger did not give a definitive answer, he left the impression that denying Communion was not usually the appropriate action.
I have one question for these bishops who don’t think that denying Communion to manifest, persistent, public, and obstinate dissenters from the Church’s teachings, who lead the faithful into error through the implication that one can be both pro-abortion and a Catholic in good standing: If you won’t deny these politicians Communion, what will you do? Name me one concrete action that you are taking in order to educate the faithful, to preserve them from Scandal, and to correct the errors of these politicians, errors that endanger their salvation. After all, as shepherds and pastors, they have a primary responsibility to teach and correct. So what exactly are they doing (other than having their pro-life office issue press releases)?
If they’re going to say that denying them Communion isn’t the way to go, then what is?
I wonder if the Bishops and their pastors would be so jelly-like if someone who loudly, consistently, and strenuously advocated killing the Bishop were in line for Communion?
If you can’t count on the Cardinal, who can you count on?? No one listens to the pope.
Welcome to our nightmare, Peter.
Pope Tells Bishops to Urge Faithful to Fight Culture Wars on Abortion and Homosexual Unions
Says Abortion and Gay Marriage Not ‘Rights’ but ‘Self-Centred Demands’
VATICAN, June 4, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In an address today to U.S. bishops from Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas, Pope John Paul II said bishops must “do everything possible to encourage the laity in their special responsibility for evangelizing culture” on life and family issues.
Sooo…where is the disconnect here. Who’s kidding us?
Dom, to answer your question, it appears to be to deny pols honors like speaking before Catholic assemblies and maybe the medieval pomp like knighthoods of the Holy Sepulchre (which the bishops nominate)—do you remember the begining of Godfather 3 who receives the fictional Order of St. Sebastian?
To use a crude abbreviation which I will not define: BFD.
True confessions (and tangent) time: I’ve never seen any of the Godfather movies. Or Casablanca. I know, I am horribly deprived of my culture.
Chaput says pope, Vatican support archdiocese
“Archbishop Charles Chaput said Monday that Pope John Paul II and Vatican officials are “positive and very supportive” of how the archdiocese is approaching the controversy over faith, Communion and politics.”