[Clintonfatigued]

Maybe I’m not qualified to comment because it’s not my church in question. But isn’t Communion only allowed to be withheld due to the person’s personal actions, not by what he advocates in terms of public policy? For example, with regard to abortion, shouldn’t the church only apply this to someone who has personally participated in an abortion? I’m not pro-abort, but it would be a shame if Catholic officials were perceived to undermining their independence from the political process.

[kellynla]

Did you read the article.
I think it's self-explanatory.
Until those who support abortion, specifically politicians, shall I say “change their ways” they are not to receive Holy Communion...pretty damn clear from where I'm sitting.

[airedale]

Voting for and advocating for a particular point of view are personal actions and for a politician making an act legal or illegal is a form of participating in the act itself one way or the other.

[kitkat]

*** But isn’t Communion only allowed to be withheld due to the person’s personal actions, not by what he advocates in terms of public policy?***

Encouraging others to have an abortion IS a personal action. I would be as guilty of having an abortion as encouraging my daughter to have one. It’s still murder no matter how you do it. And when a politician votes for abortion, and then receives Communion, he/she is telling the church he/she is NOT a Catholic.

[A.A. Cunningham]

For example, with regard to abortion, shouldn’t the church only apply this to someone who has personally participated in an abortion?

No. Advocating and enabling the act of infanticide, whether it be privately or publicly, is just as serious a sin as directly procuring an abortion.

Can. 915 Those upon whom the penalty of excommunication or interdict has been imposed or declared, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to holy communion.

2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:

You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.74 God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.75

2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,"76 "by the very commission of the offense,"77 and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.78 The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.

2322 From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a "criminal" practice (GS 27 # 3), gravely contrary to the moral law. the Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life.

2323 Because it should be treated as a person from conception, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed like every other human being.

1395 By the same charity that it enkindles in us, the Eucharist preserves us from future mortal sins. the more we share the life of Christ and progress in his friendship, the more difficult it is to break away from him by mortal sin. the Eucharist is not ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins - that is proper to the sacrament of Reconciliation. the Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the Church.

1415 Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance.

[Mrs. Don-o]

There are nine ways to cooperate in evil or aid another in sin:

• counseling or advising another to sin;
• commanding another to sin;
• provoking another to sin;
• consenting to another's sin;
• showing another how to sin;
• praising another's sin;
• concealing, remaining silent about, or doing nothing to prevent another's sin;
• taking part in or rejoicing in the results of another's sin; and
• defending another's sin.

Every public official's moral authority is predicated on the defense of human life and his enforcement of objective justice. This is the Biblical doctrine (Romans 13:4) and is also upheld in the foundational document of American political philosophy ("Inalienable rights, including Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness... To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men..")

A politician who defends or enables the killing of an innocent human being is clerly acting in a morally abominable way --- and that, publicly, in a way which is not only wrong in itself, but gives sacandal to all.

Open, mainifest, public accomplices to the crime of murder are only compounding their guilt if they, in addition, commit the sacrilege of presenting themselves for Communion without repentance.

This seems as clear as daylight to me.