Nationwide Petition Launched To Withhold Communion From Pelosi, Biden and Others

Pewsitter ^ | Feburary 17, 2009

[NYer]

Ping!

[victim soul]

pro=life ping

[pillut48]

Forget withholding communion! These evil people who hide behind their 'ardent Catholicism' don't care!! They'll just keep on smiling those simpering arrogant smiles and talking out of both sides of their mouths, one side saying, "Oh, I'm such a good and faithful Catholic!" while the other said says, "KILL MORE BABIES!!!!" >:-(

Where's the petition to sign for their complete and total excommunication from the Church?? I'll sign that in a heartbeat!!!

[Melas]

Admittedly, I’m not a Catholic, but I don’t grasp the point of the the petition. Shouldn’t this be decided by bishops or cardinals or the Pope? A petition would seem to me to be the precursor of mob rule, which would seem to run counter the hierarchical structure of the Catholic church.

[PGR88]

I agree with everything printed here, but nonetheless, aren’t there better ways to show our massive displeasure with Pelosi and crew?

I didn’t realize that Holy Communion and the Sacraments were subject to a plebiscite. Kind of diminishes the power and majesty of the Sacraments, doesn’t it?

[Battle of Tours]

Pointless. So you punish Catholic politicians by enforcing Church doctrine. The problem for many years for Catholic Americans was convincing others that they were not Catholic first, American by happenstance. Punish them by un-electing them.

[svcw]

I am not Catholic so I am really not understanding the "withholding communion" deal. It has been my Christian upbringing and understand is that communion is between you and God. It is the condition of your heart before God that is what is important at communion. How can another person determine what the condition of ones heart is? Yes, I know we can see a demonstration of what that condition might be, but we are not God and can not know for certain.

Would a Catholic explain to me how you can call for this.

[thefrankbaum]

The Church has always taught that the Bread and Wine, during a true Mass, become the actual Body and Blood of Our Lord. In order to be worthy to receive this most sacred gift, one must be in a state of grace. Remaining in unrepentant sin removes you from grace, and thus, unworthy to eat His Body and drink His Blood.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

They should let other Christians have a say.

[Rumplemeyer]

When a million of the faithful express their opinion to the Catholic Church leaders they will listen for the same reason they listened to the outrage about the homosexual Priests molesting little boys, NO DONATIONS, money talks.

[dools007]

So where have these people been all these years? Better late than never I guess.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

More than merely unworthy - it’s a sacrilege.

[Salvation]

BTTT!

[Salvation]

Their bishops already know this!

[Salvation]

Dascle needs to be included.

[svcw]

Good explanation. My understanding is the same with the difference is that we can not determine a repentant heart for another person. Oh, along with the bread and wine represents the Body and Blood of Christ.

[thefrankbaum]

It's a sacrilege only if they receive while unworthy. Not prior to that point.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

Catholics, as other denominations do, practice “closed” communion (in Protestant terms). Being in a state of “grace” means being “one with the universal Church”. If you are out of agreement (i.e. grace), you should not receive the body and blood (communion in Protestant terms). That's the entire 9 yards so to speak. If you cannot in faith accept transubstantiation (as opposed to “remembrance”) of the sacramental elements, then you are not supposed to take communion, either.

If you are not one in the “body of Christ” then you take communion to your own detriment to the extent that you do not receive the fullness of the blessings that are associated with the sacrament.

That means that on matters of faith and morals, you'd better believe and faithfully observe all the commandments and Canon law, or you EXCOMMUNICATE YOURSELF through intractable behavior and being out of communion with the whole.

The pope doesn't bounce anybody out of the church (just as God doesn't bounce anybody out of heaven). They do it to themselves. When they return to the Church, like the prodigal son, they are welcomed with open arms. It isn't like being stood up against the wall with a firing squad.

[thefrankbaum]

We agree that you cannot truly know the heart of another, but clearly if someone consistently is in favor of abortion, they cannot have repented. Further, we believe that the Keys were given to Peter, and through him, to the Church. Thus, it is within the Church's power to excommunicate people. That all said, if any of them went to a priest for Communion, and the priest denied them, and they protested that, in fact, they were in a state of grace, it is likely the priest will relent and offer Communion. If it was a lie, the insult to God is on them.