Vatican's Archbishop Burke, No Communion for Catholic Politicians who Support Abortion
"A Catholic who publicly, and after admonition, supports pro-abortion legislation is not to receive Holy Communion and is not to be given Holy Communion."
PrintROME (LifeSiteNews.com) - Archbishop Raymond Burke, in an exclusive interview last week, told LifeSiteNews.com that the issue of pro-abortion politicians continuing to receive Holy Communion is still one of major concern and that it is the duty of bishops to ensure that they are refused.
He told LifeSiteNews.com, "I don't understand the continual debate that goes on about it. There's not a question that a Catholic who publicly, and after admonition, supports pro-abortion legislation is not to receive Holy Communion and is not to be given Holy Communion."
"The Church's law is very clear," said Archbishop Burke, who was appointed last year by Pope Benedict XVI as the head of the Church's highest court, the Apostolic Signatura. "The person who persists publicly in grave sin is to be denied Holy Communion, and it [Canon Law] doesn't say that the bishop shall decide this. It's an absolute."
Among the US bishops directly to address the issue, Archbishop Burke was one of around a dozen who vigorously supported a directive of the Vatican that said pro-abortion Catholic politicians "must be refused" Holy Communion if they attempt to receive at Mass. Others have refused to abide by the Vatican instruction and the Church's own Code of Canon Law, saying they would rather focus on "education" of such politicians.
Archbishop Burke called "nonsense" the accusation, regularly made by some bishops, that refusing Holy Communion "makes the Communion rail a [political] battle ground". In fact, he said, the precise opposite is true. The politician who insists on being seen receiving Holy Communion, despite his opposition to the Church's central teachings, is using that reception for political leverage.
In 2004, when self-proclaimed Catholic and candidate for the Democrat party, Sen. John Kerry, was frequently photographed receiving Holy Communion despite his vigorous support of abortion, the US Bishops Conference issued a document which said only that it is up to individual bishops whether to implement the Church's code of Canon Law and refuse Communion. The issue has remained prominent with the appointment of Joe Biden, another pro-abortion Catholic politician, as Vice President of the United States of America.
Archbishop Burke recalled previous experiences with Kerry, pointing to the several occasions when the senator was pictured in Time magazine receiving Communion from Papal representatives at various public events. Burke said that it is clear that Kerry was using his reception of Holy Communion to send a message.
"He wants to not only receive Holy Communion from a bishop but from the papal representative. I think that's what his point was. Get it in Time magazine, so people read it and say to themselves, 'He must be in good standing'."
"What are they doing? They're using the Eucharist as a political tool."
In refusing, far from politicising the Eucharist, the Church is returning the matter to its religious reality. The most important reasons to refuse, he said, are pastoral and religious in nature.
"The Holy Eucharist, the most sacred reality of our life in the Church, has to be protected against sacrilege. At the same time, individuals have to be protected for the sake of their own salvation from committing one of the gravest sins, namely to receive Holy Communion unworthily."
Archbishop Burke also dismissed the commonly proffered excuse that such politicians need more "education". Speaking from his own direct experience, he said that Catholic politicians who are informed by their pastors or bishops that their positions in support of pro-abortion legislation makes it impossible for them to receive Holy Communion, "I've always found that they don't come forward."
"When you talk to these people, they know," he said. "They know what they're doing is very wrong. They have to answer to God for that, but why through our pastoral negligence add on to that, that they have to answer to God for who knows how many unworthy receptions of Holy Communion?"
Archbishop Burke said that the issue had been debated enough. He rejected the idea that the matter should be left to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, saying the Conference has no authority in the matter. "This is a law of the universal Church and it should be applied."
"I think this argument too is being used by people who don't want to confront the issue, this whole 'wait 'til the Conference decides'...well the Conference has been discussing this since at least 2004. And nothing happens."
When asked what the solution was, he responded, "Individual bishops and priests simply have to do their duty. They have to confront politicians, Catholic politicians, who are sinning gravely and publicly in this regard. And that's their duty.
"And if they carry it out, not only can they not be reproached for that, but they should be praised for confronting this situation."
He told LifeSiteNews.com, "I don't understand the continual debate that goes on about it. There's not a question that a Catholic who publicly, and after admonition, supports pro-abortion legislation is not to receive Holy Communion and is not to be given Holy Communion."
"The Church's law is very clear," said Archbishop Burke, who was appointed last year by Pope Benedict XVI as the head of the Church's highest court, the Apostolic Signatura. "The person who persists publicly in grave sin is to be denied Holy Communion, and it [Canon Law] doesn't say that the bishop shall decide this. It's an absolute."
Among the US bishops directly to address the issue, Archbishop Burke was one of around a dozen who vigorously supported a directive of the Vatican that said pro-abortion Catholic politicians "must be refused" Holy Communion if they attempt to receive at Mass. Others have refused to abide by the Vatican instruction and the Church's own Code of Canon Law, saying they would rather focus on "education" of such politicians.
Archbishop Burke called "nonsense" the accusation, regularly made by some bishops, that refusing Holy Communion "makes the Communion rail a [political] battle ground". In fact, he said, the precise opposite is true. The politician who insists on being seen receiving Holy Communion, despite his opposition to the Church's central teachings, is using that reception for political leverage.
In 2004, when self-proclaimed Catholic and candidate for the Democrat party, Sen. John Kerry, was frequently photographed receiving Holy Communion despite his vigorous support of abortion, the US Bishops Conference issued a document which said only that it is up to individual bishops whether to implement the Church's code of Canon Law and refuse Communion. The issue has remained prominent with the appointment of Joe Biden, another pro-abortion Catholic politician, as Vice President of the United States of America.
Archbishop Burke recalled previous experiences with Kerry, pointing to the several occasions when the senator was pictured in Time magazine receiving Communion from Papal representatives at various public events. Burke said that it is clear that Kerry was using his reception of Holy Communion to send a message.
"He wants to not only receive Holy Communion from a bishop but from the papal representative. I think that's what his point was. Get it in Time magazine, so people read it and say to themselves, 'He must be in good standing'."
"What are they doing? They're using the Eucharist as a political tool."
In refusing, far from politicising the Eucharist, the Church is returning the matter to its religious reality. The most important reasons to refuse, he said, are pastoral and religious in nature.
"The Holy Eucharist, the most sacred reality of our life in the Church, has to be protected against sacrilege. At the same time, individuals have to be protected for the sake of their own salvation from committing one of the gravest sins, namely to receive Holy Communion unworthily."
Archbishop Burke also dismissed the commonly proffered excuse that such politicians need more "education". Speaking from his own direct experience, he said that Catholic politicians who are informed by their pastors or bishops that their positions in support of pro-abortion legislation makes it impossible for them to receive Holy Communion, "I've always found that they don't come forward."
"When you talk to these people, they know," he said. "They know what they're doing is very wrong. They have to answer to God for that, but why through our pastoral negligence add on to that, that they have to answer to God for who knows how many unworthy receptions of Holy Communion?"
Archbishop Burke said that the issue had been debated enough. He rejected the idea that the matter should be left to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, saying the Conference has no authority in the matter. "This is a law of the universal Church and it should be applied."
"I think this argument too is being used by people who don't want to confront the issue, this whole 'wait 'til the Conference decides'...well the Conference has been discussing this since at least 2004. And nothing happens."
When asked what the solution was, he responded, "Individual bishops and priests simply have to do their duty. They have to confront politicians, Catholic politicians, who are sinning gravely and publicly in this regard. And that's their duty.
"And if they carry it out, not only can they not be reproached for that, but they should be praised for confronting this situation."
- - -
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While I can understand his ire at those "Catholic" politicians who make a
big play of waving their rosary beads at everyone to buy votes while never backing the Church up on it's more controversial political policies, the Church in England (and indeed the world) has long had a long standing policy of not telling people specically who or which party to vote for on a party political basis that Archbishop Burke doesn't seem to respect.
He has broken this convention like a twig and expects no one to notice the retroactive continuity.
However, the Church still brings this history up when it suits it - for example
when it's trying to explain to Jews how the Vatican had to maintain
political neutrality during the 2nd world war. You cant have your cake and eat it.
The Vatican told Bitains to confront the government during the reformation but when the Vatican was surrounded by Nazis somehow it needs to remain neutral.
This is not to slag off Pius XII it's just to point out why political neutrality is an important, complex issue.
To be fair to Archbishop Burke it's a bit harder to separate personalities from political parties in the US Presidential system. Our parliamentary system is often slagged off for its "unelected Prime Ministers" but it does allow for a better separation of individuals from political parties on matters of personal concience which embroyology research and abortion are.
These are usually allowed free votes in the House of Commons which have been known to lower the abortion time window.
Ultimately too you have to win over the minds of your oponents as laws cannot be enforced effectively unless they have universal assent (except in a dictatorship).
One of the reasons abortion law was relaxed was it was widely ignored and this created its own death toll.
Also ,it's easy for Archbishop Burke to sound off on abortion rights - most of his congregation are not about to just walk over the road to a Protestant church as easilly as they can here in the UK.
And when you talk about people mocking you what about the SSPX which managed to get one of its bishops to deny the holocaust on the very day it was absorbed back into the church...?
Yes, thank God for Archbishop Burke. An important point he also made is that it's not the US Conference of Bishops to make this decision (and others). No one is fooled by these politicians. They will say or do anything for a vote. Thank you Archbishop Burke!
Perhaps the Vice President should consider leaving Catholicism and becoming an Episcopalian --- then he can have the "gilt" without the "guilt"! Seriously, if he remains a nominal Roman Catholic while continuing to be "pro-choice" he is guilty of a serious moral inconsistency.
After my first confession with our new pastor I advised him that I would be back for confession within four weeks. He just replied :"I see..."
Thank God for Archbishop Burke. This insult to Christ, this outrage, that a pack of Congressmen who make it possible for the murder of children to take place in this country, are being allowed to take Communion and are accepted as if they have behaved without any culpability, is finally being brought to an end. Vice President Biden and Speaker Pelosi, should not be allowed Communion until public penance and a public retraction and change of their prior support for abortion is made. Until that happens they should be definitively barred from the Sacrament--indeed they MUST BE. And when we blur the line on the sanctity of human life in favor of inclusiveness, to appear "open", and "modern", and "evolved", we only act weakly and cowardly and in total abrogation of our duty as Christians. Thank you Archbishop Burke--God bless you sir.
We as Catholics are simply not to receive the Eucharist if not in a "state of grace". Obvious to any Catholic who understands the "truth" of our faith - understands the conflict. It is the duty of all Catholics to help those who do not understand that to recieve communion while not in a state of "grace" is only hurting their spirit, Christ, and the relationship between. We as a community of faith must continue to model our faith as best we can - but we must also move beyond that limiting initiative and opening communicate and challenge our catholic brothers. I am encouraged that the latest couple rounds of recent and new priests in our parish are not ambiguous on this topic. They seem much more aggressive and "black and white" in their evangelization. We as a faith community must take that message and move it forward wherever we are able.
I think the time has come to draw the line in the sand. If the Catholic Bishops don't have the guts to require Catholic politicians to start living their faith, how then can they expect the faithful to believe anything they (the Bishops) say.
I am so glad this is coming out and is finally being discussed. I pray God will see us through this. We all need to do the right thing.
Ann
Thank YOU ARCHBISHOP BURKE! It is about TIME! I am sick and tired of the LAZYNESS of the bishops and priests to act in a UNIFIED MANNER in regard to catholic pols having the UTTER GALL to VOTE to KILL BABIES in ALL STAGES BY THEIR VOTE and the NEXT SUNDAY trot off to receive their GOD! IPSO FACTO they have ex-communicated themselves...we were all taught that one. YET the BRILLANT IVY LEAGUEERS are so IRRATIONAL and displaced in their moral life they actually BELIEVE that and think SO WHAT!get rid of them it is INSULTING to our LORD HE DIED to GIVE US EVERLASTING LIFE and there are those who spit in HIS GLORIOUS FACE at the COMMUNION RAIL by taking HIM into their hearts and
souls with that GRAVE AND EVIL SIN!
They vote to kill INNOCENTS at any point..saying it is law..religion & politis should not be mixed! HOW ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS????????? We are all in a tither about the homosexual human rights but NO babies are a NOTHING! ESPECIALLY to this new administration and sad to say a vice president who is catholic!
To those on this post who find ARCHBISHOPS BURKES stand offensive I say TOUGH! Study your faith and LOVE YOUR GOD in HIS REAL PRESENSE IN THE EUCHARIST! AND STAND UP FOR THE LITTLE ONES WHO CRY OUT FOR REVENGE ...as did CAIN cry out!
It is utterly appaling that this discussion is even taking place, that a RATIONAL HUMAN would think NOT to preserve babies lifes is just fine is beyond comprehension......oh the tired tale of we shall go back to the old days of back alley aborts....BULL there are exceptionsfor the mothers life! What is happening is that abortion is a FORM OF BIRTH CONTROL and a SCANDAL TO ALL MANKIND
The Republican party has successfully hijacked many people in the disenfranchised Christian community to win votes via a polarization around abortion. This polarization has unfortunately escalated, caused unintended division, and distorted the meaning of Christianity.
The Conference needs to take the Bishops involved to task for scandalizing the faithful.