Pro-abortion Biden and Pelosi receive communion, but not from Pope at inaugural Mass

Life Site News ^ | March 20, 2013 | John-Henry Westen

[Zakeet]

Pro-abortion Catholics Vice President Joe Biden and House Leader Nancy Pelosi both received Holy Communion at the inauguration Mass of Pope Francis in the Vatican yesterday. However, while the Pope did administer Communion to deacons assisting at the altar, he did not distribute Communion to any of the dignitaries present.

Pope Benedict XVI stressed throughout his pontificate and before it began that pro-abortion politicians should be denied Communion.

Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro, the head of the Rome office of Human Life International told LifeSiteNews that “While some Americans were perfectly entitled to received Communion, like Congressman Smith, as Cardinal Raymond Burke has said so eloquently, politicians who consider themselves Catholic but support abortion should absent themselves from Holy Communion.”

US News and World Report quotes press pools at the inaugural Mass reporting Biden and Pelosi did receive Communion. And the Washington Times notes that Biden’s office has confirmed it.

Vice President Biden was received in a short meeting by Pope Francis. Monsignor Barreiro explained, “When you have diplomatic relations with a country you can’t refuse to receive them in a lineup, you can however refuse them Holy Communion.”

Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life said, according to the Times: "Vice President Biden and Nancy Pelosi should certainly not receive Communion, either at the papal installation or anywhere else. Communion means ‘union,’ and they are not in union with the church on the most fundamental moral issue of the right to life.”

[steve86]

In my eyes, there goes the credibility of the new pope.

Put some reality specs on those weary eyes. Yes, ideally, they would have been denied. And so would 90% of political envoys from EVERY country. They aren't prepared to do that in this context. Can't realistically happen. The instruction should go out to their home diocese to deny. If that doesn't happen, I will be just as disillusioned as you.

[mc5cents]

Who is the stooge who gave them communion and why was he allowed to?

See post 12 above.

[NYer]

Or Matthew 7:4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye?

Bingo! The solution, of course, would be to ban reception of communion at such large public gatherings. That would generate tirades from the opposite side. Ultimately, assuming the bishops have done their necessary job of advising the apostates (not limited to politicians) and they still choose to receive because they are in the public eye with cameras flashing and live filming (sin of pride), God will hold them accountable .... not us!

The crowd yesterday was in the hundreds of thousands. How do we know muslims didn't go up to receive communion?

[rollo tomasi]

Matthew 7:4. So you are saying the Bishops over Pelosi and Biden are pro-abortion along with sanctifying sodomy, thus making the sexual perversity on par with heterosexual matrimony? Which "leads to"...

...the Bishops are inability to steer their flock (Unable to judge right from wrong because they have the same "plank/sawdust" as Pelosi and Biden in their eyes), only join in their acceptance of murder and perversion.

Good grief, context is all lost with these religious figures/you then, lol. What is the point then? Also, back in Pelosi's/Biden's diocese they have free reign. A large gathering serves no excuse for ongoing scandal.

[johnd201]

Sad but true.

[Free and Armed]

There’s a lot of hand-wringing over the fact that these public officials are receiving the Eucharist unworthily, but I agree with a couple of the posters here that the bashers need to relax and quit hammering down on the Pope and bishops over this issue. I don’t know how the logistics of this Mass worked, but I suspect those distributing Holy Communion probably didn’t know who these two clowns were, or had no way of knowing whether or not they had gone to confession prior to receiving. I would love to see CINOs like Pelosi publicly denied Communion and turned away when it’s her turn in line, but I think we should quit all this bashing and relax a little. God is giving them time to repent, and if they don’t, they’ll answer to Him one day. Same goes with their bishops, if the bishops are knowingly allowing or condoning their unworthy reception of the Lord. I’m all for the Church making a serious effort to crack down on abuses of the Eucharist, but I’m also all for giving Church leaders the benefit of the doubt, and if nothing else, not losing our confidence in Christ’s visible Church when her human leaders fail in certain areas. The Church has survived through much worse in the past and will continue to survive until Christ returns. I will not respond to the haters who’d like to argue with me over this; either agree with me or don’t, doesn’t matter to me.

[NYer]

So you are saying the Bishops over Pelosi and Biden are pro-abortion along with sanctifying sodomy, thus making the sexual perversity on par with heterosexual matrimony? Which "leads to"...

I said no such thing.

the Bishops are inability to steer their flock (Unable to judge right from wrong because they have the same "plank/sawdust" as Pelosi and Biden in their eyes), only join in their acceptance of murder and perversion.

No .. please reread what I posted.

Also, back in Pelosi's/Biden's diocese they have free reign. A large gathering serves no excuse for ongoing scandal.

This thread is about one event, publicly aired on global television. It has nothing to do with what happens in their respective dioceses.

[trisham]

I suspect that Pelosi and Biden were well aware that they had a perfect opportunity to wrongly receive communion at this Mass, and to be able to trumpet their sin to the world.

It is not for the Church to police Catholics. The Vatican does not have, nor should it have a force such as the CIA. This is all simply ridiculous.

[rollo tomasi]

Apologies then, but some type of PUBLIC admonishment needs to be made on Pelosi and Biden by their Bishops due to the ongoing PUBLIC scandal (Way long over due BTW). Bishops allowing the warm embrace of the media concerning the devout Catholics, Pelosi and Biden, as they are piously witnessing the installation Mass or any other Mass they proudly attend is a major public scandal. I would surmise many parishioners have made these two behaviors known to the Bishops, ie plenty of witnesses.

Worldly politics should not control/dictate Biblical principles, but sadly that is what the 20th/21st Century Church has come down to, submission to a percieved greater state. "Tactful"/cowardly notions of "self-excommunications" or slap on the wrist (While escaping tax deductions) do not equal Biblical principles in regard to public scandal. This just makes the institution look like the Church of Laodicea rather than Philadelphia. Either public figures are kicked out until they PUBLICALLY (Read Augustine's POV on repentance due to public scandal if Biblical commands are to ignored, plain as day mind you) repent or kept in due to risk of political persecution. Apparently the choice has been made by the Bishops.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

It is spiritual issues like this that call into question what the Roman Church actually stands for, versus what they teach.

It is difficult to take the Church’s words seriously, when Church discipline is never exercised against high profile individuals like these.

In the end, apparently, they are just platitudes that have no teeth.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

"It is not for the Church to police Catholics. The Vatican does not have, nor should it have a force such as the CIA. This is all simply ridiculous."

15 “If another believer[a] sins against you,[b] go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. Jesus, Matthew 18:15-17

It is not only not ridiculous, it is commanded by Christ. Later, followed up in Corinthians by the Apostle Paul.

[delchiante]

Exercising church discipline should be a part of any church/denomination.. Paul was clear... thing is these publicly elected politicians have one god above all- government and they are not only self appointed angels and prophets and saints but also gods..and their sacraments are moat important.. those practicing catholics who vote for catholics like pelosi and Biden deserve the govt and the church they get....

[trisham]

Are you Catholic?

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“Are you Catholic?”

No.

[trisham]

Thank you for being honest.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“Thank you for being honest.”

Honesty honors God. We ought to be doing that as Christians.