Church in America Confused About Pro-Abortion Politicians and Holy Communion

by Joseph Aiuto

Recently a wave of confusion, anger and frustration has hit the Church in America over the subject of pro-abortion politicians who refer to themselves as Catholics and their practice of receiving the Eucharist. This issue has been brought to the foreground of U.S. media due to the practice of Senator John Kerry, probable presidential candidate for the Democratic Party. Kerry's voting record is clear. He is pro-abortion, pro-partial-birth abortion, pro-gay marriage, pro-cloning, and has made public statements the likes of "I don't tell bishops what to do and they shouldn't tell me what to do." He has, moreover, aligned himself with "Pius XXIII" (sic.), "Paul VI" and "Vatican II" as the justification for following his own conscience in opposition to Catholic moral teachings.

Following the document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith regarding Catholic Politicians (2003), several U.S. bishops took appropriate stands in notifying Catholic politicians in their ecclesiastical jurisdictions of the inappropriateness of receiving Holy Communion while holding a public stand for abortion which would constitute public scandal and hence deprive them of access to Holy Communion. Bishop Weigand of Sacramento contacted former Governor of California Gray Davis and informed him of the inappropriateness of him seeking to receive Holy Communion. Archbishop Burke of St. Louis and Bishop Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska, also made it clear that they would not allow Catholic politicians for abortion to receive Holy Communion. One is reminded of the statements of Pope John Paul II during his earlier trip to the United States when, in an address given in Los Angeles, he stated in general that anyone who dissents from the moral teachings of the Church would be committing "grave sin" and should not be admitted to the sacraments.

Why then, in light of John Paul II's teaching and the appropriate episcopal actions by Bishops Weigand, Burke, Bruskewitz, Hughes of New Orleans and others, is there a new confusion over the inappropriateness of giving the Eucharist to a Catholic politician who is publicly known in support of abortion? Unfortunately, Cardinal McCarrick of Washington, D.C., who heads the commission concerning the relationship between the hierarchy and politicians, has publicly said to Newsweek and Time magazines that although there is a desire to restrict, this should not be inclusive of restricting Catholic politicians from the Eucharist. Although Kerry and Cardinal McCarrick met for an hour on Wednesday, April 14, there was no public information released about the contents of the meeting. Moreover, Senator Kerry recently received Holy Communion at his local parish, with the Pastor having received a fax from the Chancery office giving permission for Kerry to be given Holy Communion, and parishioners applauded Kerry's reception of Communion during Sunday Mass. Public scandal is bearing its ill fruits amidst the Catholic faithful in the pews of Boston.

Catholic Newspapers and radio talk shows throughout the country have focused on this issue in the last two days, with the Catholic faithful calling in with deep dismay and indignation about permission given for Senator Kerry to receive Holy Communion by members of the U.S. hierarchy. Senator Kerry has also received inter-communion from Protestant churches, just one more violation of Catholic canonical teaching.

And yet the canonical and magisterial foundations for refusing Holy Communion to Catholic politicians publicly known to favor abortion is clear. Canon 1339, parts one and two, of the 1983 Code of Canon Law establishes the legitimacy of an ordinary (for example the bishop of a diocese) to admonish a person guilty of an offense or rebuking a person from whose behavior leads to public scandal:

An ordinary can admonish personally or through another person one who is in the proximate occasion of committing an offense or upon whom, after an investigation has been made, there has fallen a serious suspicion of having committed an offense (Canon 1339, 1).

An ordinary can likewise rebuke a person from whose behavior there arises scandal or serous disturbance of order in a manner accommodated to the special conditions of the person and the deed (Canon 1339, 2).

Furthermore, Canon 915 establishes the legitimacy of the penalty of refusing Holy Communion to anyone who "obstinately persist in manifest grave sin":

Those who are excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion (Canon 915) [emphasis mine].

In light of the document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on Catholic politicians, which establishes the moral obligation of Catholics involved in lawmaking, Catholics have a "grave and clear obligation to oppose" any law that attacks human life is clear. As the document states:

John Paul II, continuing the constant teaching of the Church, has reiterated many times that those who are directly involved in lawmaking bodies have a "grave and clear obligation to oppose" any law that attacks human life. For them, as for every Catholic, it is impossible to promote such laws or to vote for them . . . procured abortion is the deliberate and direct killing, by whatever means it is carried out, of a human being in the initial phase of his or her existence, extending from conception to birth. (Doctrinal Note on Some Questions Regarding The Participation of Catholics in Political Life, 4).

In fact, John Paul's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae establishes abortion as both a grave moral disorder, as well as denoting "grave and clear obligation" to oppose any human law that would support abortion:

Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize. There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection (Evangelium Vitae, March 25, 1995, 73).

Therefore to freely and knowingly support abortion and abortion legislation would constitute grave sin and thereby prohibit reception of the sacraments according to the dictates of Canon 915. It is appropriate that the bishop of the pertinent diocese issue the penalty of prohibition from the Eucharist according to the dictates of Canon 1339.

Unfortunately, it appears that the only hope for clarity on this pivotal doctrinal and disciplinary issue concerning the Eucharist is the Holy See directly and Pope John Paul II. Let us hope that during the Ad Limina visits presently taking place between the Holy Father and the United States bishops, that John Paul will once again provide the necessary clarity and strength in Church leadership by stating the inappropriateness of a Catholic politician in favor of abortion receiving Holy Communion due to its grave effects of scandal. With the local church granting him access to Holy Communion, there could easily ensue a flood of divorced and remarried Catholics, gay and lesbian Catholics, pro-abortion Catholics and others foreseeing their go-ahead to legitimacy of receiving Holy Communion when they stand in public and moral contradiction to the contemporary teachings of John Paul II and the Church's Magisterium.

Holy Father, please help.

Joseph Aiuto
Catholic Research Internet Commentary

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