Posted on 05/24/2004 3:39:00 PM PDT by Phx_RC
The headline in the Arizona Republic (5/21/04), “Bishops won’t link politics, Communion” misrepresents my position.
Abortion is the killing of a completely innocent life and thus bad news for both unborn children and their mothers.
It is a horrible wrong. It is intrinsically evil. We have a serious obligation to protect human life, and especially the most innocent and vulnerable.
Whoever fails to do this, especially when they are able to do so, commit serious sins of omission. They jeopardize their own spiritual wellbeing and they are a source of scandal for others.
Should they be Catholics, they should not receive Holy Communion.
No one who is conscious of having committed a serious sin should receive Holy Communion. For the Eucharist is the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, our most precious gift in the Church. And St. Paul warns us (I Cor 11:27-29): “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.”
I call upon all Catholics, especially those in public life, to examine their consciences, and to refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they are unambiguously pro-abortion. As a bishop, I shall continue to pray for an end to abortion and other sins against life; I shall stand up for the life and dignity of every human person and I urge all people of good will to do the same.
Should some Catholic politicians who are presently pro-abortion obstinately persist in this contradiction to our faith, this becomes a source of scandal and measures beyond those of moral persuasion would be needed.
As God tells us in the Book of Leviticus (19:16), “You shall not stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake.”
Link to post sequence #61 and following via the AZ Republic link where Phx_RC exhibits restrained inner turmoil.
The Bishop and the Diocese of Phoenix can be reached:
By Phone: 602-257-0030, By Fax: 602-354-2427, By e-mail
By mail: Diocese of Phoenix, 400 East Monroe Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-2336
Note: Underlines added for emphasis.
FYI PING
As I suspected, the media misrepresented Bp. Olmsted's position regarding pro-abortion politicians and voters.
Excellent!
Actually, they didn't.
He still favors moral suasion and still has not explicitly gone as far as Burke and Sheridan.
Perhaps he hasn't, but he has put Kerry in a very awkward position should he attend Mass in Phoenix.
Now, instead of putting a (more than likely)liberal Phoenix priest in the spotlight, now Kerry would have to go directly against the Phoenix Bishop himself.
Are you saying the bishop is a liar? He said they did.
He still favors moral suasion and still has not explicitly gone as far as Burke and Sheridan.
Should some Catholic politicians who are presently pro-abortion obstinately persist in this contradiction to our faith, this becomes a source of scandal and measures beyond those of moral persuasion would be needed.
FYI PING...Bishop Olmsted update.
Should some Catholic politicians who are presently pro-abortion obstinately persist in this contradiction to our faith, this becomes a source of scandal and measures beyond those of moral persuasion would be needed.
Ready to make that rare but dreadfully needed public retraction and apology yet, Sink?
Don't you just hate it when folks rightfully tell you, "I told you so"?!?
He has not said explicitly what he would do. Olmsted has not gone as far as Burke and Sheridan.
From an article today:
"I didn't realize it would get as far as it did," he said. "The message has been grossly misrepresented. As if I would deny Communion to anybody. How do I know how anybody votes?"What about communion for pro-choice politicians such as John Kerry? "I'd have to think about that, because he's made his beliefs known," Sheridan said. "I was, practically speaking, writing for voters, appealing to the conscience of Catholics so they are well informed and know what the church teaches."
All Bp. Sheridan really did was make the point that voters are not off the hook for voting for pro-abort politicians. That seems to be what people are so steamed about, but he was only stating the obvious, IMO.
Neither need he do so. Rome has made abundantly clear what he MUST do. If he is an exemplary bishop, he will obey Rome.
IOW, Sheridan didn't mean to write what he wrote.
Got it.
Many people read what he wrote and interpreted it to mean that he would refuse the Eucharist to voters who voted for pro-abortion politicians.
He clearly meant to leave an impression, an impression that he now admits is unrealistic.
Any time someone says he was "misinterpreted," that's bureaucrat-speak for "I misspoke."
I ain't buying it. There is no substantial difference between the position of Bp. Sheridan and Bp. Olmsted. The only real difference is how the media played their comments.
Is defeating abortion unrealistic?
A constitutional amendment, at this time, is unrealistic.
If Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion will return to the states.
Some states would outlaw it, but, more than likely, most wouldn't.
This is a long, hard fight.
And yet we export our morals to other nations,expecting them to follow our lead.What's wrong with this picture?
The Arizona Repugnant (aka "The Rag") is notorious for pushing their "misrepresentations" and their various liberal agendas.
I believe they are owned by Gannett Services, related to CNN. That should explain it all.
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