U.S. Bishops' Task Force to Discuss Pro-Abortion Politicians In Wake of Card. Arinze's Comments

zenit.org ^ | 4/26/04 | zenit.org

[Polycarp IV]

ZENIT - The World Seen From Rome

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Code: ZE04042623

Date: 2004-04-26

U.S. Bishops' Task Force to Discuss Pro-Abortion Politicians

In Wake of Cardinal Arinze's Comments

WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 26, 2004 (Zenit.org).- A task force set up the U.S. bishops' conference will discuss the reception of sacraments by Catholics whose political advocacy directly contradicts Church teaching.

Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the episcopal conference, announced the task force in the wake of a Vatican press conference last week in which Cardinal Francis Arinze said that politicians who support abortion must not go to Communion. He also said that priests must deny such politicians the sacrament.

Cardinal Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, was presenting a new Vatican instruction, "Redemptionis Sacramentum" (The Sacrament of Redemption), aimed at ensuring the proper celebration and reception of the Eucharist.

Bishop Gregory noted that the prefect's comments extended to U.S. politicians and said: "Cardinal Arinze stated it is the responsibility of the bishops of the United States to deal pastorally with such situations as they exist here."

"Each diocesan bishop has the right and duty to address such issues of serious pastoral concern as he judges best in his local church, in accord with pastoral and canonical norms," Bishop Gregory said.

"To assist us in our common discernment, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has established a task force to discuss issues with regard to the participation of Catholics in political life, including reception of the sacraments, in the cases of those whose political advocacy is in direct contradiction to Church teaching," he said.

"The establishment of this task force is a clear sign of the seriousness with which we take these issues and continue to consider how best to interpret and apply the norms of the Church in their regard," said the bishop of Belleville, Illinois.

He added: "It has always been our hope and expectation as bishops that men and women in political life, whatever their religious convictions, would be guided by and live out the truth of the faith given them by God with integrity."

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Kerry is free to decide how he wants to advance a policy which protects the unborn and places legal limitations and prohibitions on abortion and aborted stem cells research. If he wants to be pro-abortion, he is free to vote that way. He just can't call himself a Catholic or receive Holy Communion at Mass. The U.S. Constitution cannot tell Catholic priests or bishops to whom they must give Holy Communion. The Church is well within the U.S. Constitution.
The leaders of the church are exercising the "free exercise of religion" which is in the U.S. Constitution. Kerry is free to join any cult, denomination, or secret societies that promote abortion that he wants. He just can't be a Catholic any more.

[narses]

Deacon Sinkspur says:

YOu're a bit unhinged, too, narses.

Please: NO profanity, NO personal attacks, NO racism or violence in posts.

You and Howling need to get a room and talk about secret societies.

We'd be in good company Deacon, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger might be there, as would Pope after Pope, and even sitting Bishops, like His Grace, Bp. Bruskewicz of Nebraska. Your touting the good works of Masons while poo-pooing the Church law IS disobedient.

[DestroytheDemocrats]

"Of course they could. And Rome would back them up on it."

I doubt it. But I tend to think that most pro-capital punishment Catholic politicians would not put up much of a fight on this one. They would more likely have an "Sigh, okay Your Holiness if you really insist but I am not excited about it" attitude. People who are pro-capital punishment believe in following the rules and they respect authority. They would, if pinned down by the pope, probably give in. And anyway, putting someone in jail for life is satisfactory in most cases. Not only that but there is so much wiggle room on what "rarely" means or "grave" crimes that the whole thing is harder to pin down. I am not worried about it.

[DestroytheDemocrats]

"The U.S. Constitution cannot tell Catholic priests or bishops to whom they must give Holy Communion. The Church is well within the U.S. Constitution. The leaders of the church are exercising the "free exercise of religion"

Exactly.

[DestroytheDemocrats]

"Of course they could. And Rome would back them up on it."

"As to the Pope’s assertion that the death penalty should today be rare, .... this is to be understood as an exercise of the Pope’s prudential judgment. “Prudential” has a technical theological meaning .....It refers to the application of Catholic doctrine to changing concrete circumstances. Since the Christian revelation tells us nothing about the particulars of contemporary society, the Pope and the bishops have to rely on their personal judgment as qualified spiritual leaders in making practical applications. Their prudential judgment, while it is to be respected, is not a matter of binding Catholic doctrine. To differ from such a judgment, therefore, is not to dissent from Church teaching."

Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J. Fordham University Bronx, New York

[DestroytheDemocrats]

"I don't particularly like the hick W. Bush."

I resent this. He has a Texas accent. So do I and I am not a hick. The man graduated from Yale. The term hick refers to an uneducated, socially backward, unwashed, crude person. The Bush's are not hicks. None of them... past or present. In fact they are not trusted by some because they are so elite.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

We can agree to disagree. I think that Bush has damaged the conservative movement a great deal. My assessment of the current situation is that we need better leaders. Why Bush has failed or to what degree are issues that can be debated.

Your point is taken.

[cpforlife.org]

This cannot be just about John Kerry. That would not be correct and would rightly be perceived as taking sides.

EVERY Catholic politician (national, state, local) who has been supportive of ANY of the following: abortion, euthanasia, cloning, embryonic stem-cell research, OR sodomite “marriage” should be the recipient of formal communication from his/her bishop.

Whatever the proper course is, like what the great Archbishop Burke (now of St. Louis) did.

Those who persist after the proper canonical steps would then be publicly excommunicated.

They could all be given the justice and merciful medicine of excommunication by July 1 and we could have an awesome Independence From Satanic Tyranny Day on The Fourth.

At the same time there should be a series of homilies nationwide and a series of inserts in every parish bulletin and diocesan paper on what the Church teaches about these subjects and teachings on Catholic civic responsibility.

IMO—the culture is so far gone it would take something this radical to turn it around—regardless of the elections.

The Church does not “kick people out”, it is a loving Mother. The sinner excommunicates himself, HE abandons his Savior. The Church -- just like a good parent -- here is trying to wake the person’s conscience, before they die, so that they may repent and avoid eternal hell.

[.45MAN]

I sure seems black and white to me, Hopefully the bishops will not interpret it into oblivion..

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

http://www.spiritdaily.com/kerrycommnunion.htm

[Aquinasfan]

That is the bottom line...they WANT Kerry to win, so they WILL NOT refuse him the Eucharist.

I can't see any other plausible explanation.

[ninenot]

Take a look at this AM's Zenit and find the interview with the Opus Dei faculty guy. Clear, compelling, and simple.

The Jellyfish-with-Miters have no excuses remaining.

[ninenot]

There's more than just Kerry at play here.

If the Bishops make the declaration in the case of Kerry, they have to make the declaration in the cases of THOUSANDS of State and Local pols as well.

It would be more than a thunderclap: it would be an earthquake.

I suspect that THAT is the part they are trying to manage properly. At this point, every sentient American knows that Kerry is at odds with the Church; he's not really the issue, although he is the most visible target.

[ninenot]

Yale Skull-and-Bones bump.

Knowledge needed.

[ninenot]

You're only 8 hours ahead of me with that thought. Sorry I didn't see your post first.

[Siobhan]

Please God send us that particular EARTHQUAKE.

[Polycarp IV]

I didn't receive today's Zenit email yet. Is the Opus Dei interview on their website? I couldn't find it there either.

[BlackElk]

Ping for later

[BlackElk]

Good points across the board as to Skull and Bones. It is not the Knights of Malta but it is hardly the satanic coven that opponents make it out to be. Membership includes former Senator and now US Court of Appeals Judge James Lane Buckley and his brother Bill Buckley, neither of whom are likely to be confused with servants of the AntiChrist. The membership also includes Cyrus Vance and others who might be. It is certainly not a religious group in any event.

[BlackElk]

See #159.