The Breaking News Story
A lot has been reported about former Vice President Joe Biden being refused Holy Communion at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Florence, South Carolina on Sunday because of his permissive public stance toward the aborting of unborn children. Such liturgical matters are preferably left private between a person and his church. However, the priest fulfilled his moral duty precisely because Biden is a celebrity and such matters are immediately reported by the media. If he were an ordinary churchgoer in the parish it is likely the priest would not know his stance against human life and he would have received the sacrament; yes, even though it would have convicted him secretly and spiritually before Christ. Similarly, if his views were only known to his priest confessor, that priest would have been required to give him the Eucharist so as not to violate the seal of confession. But given this situation, as a politician he not only adds his votes among others but is an active enabler for the murder of human beings (a truth which he supposedly believes in “personally”). More monstrous than those who deny the humanity of the unborn are those like Biden that straddle the fence. On one hand he says that he agrees with Church teaching and personally opposes abortion; on the other he refuses to impose his moral views upon others and politically enables what he evidently understands to be the murder of human beings. Really, many of us have a hard time believing this? Like the famous video of so-called “Catholic” politicians in New York laughing and applauding legislation to allow nine-month pregnant women to abort their babies— any faith they say they have is feigned, soured, not real— you cannot serve two masters. You should not make yourself available to receive the bread of life while eagerly helping to feed children to demons.
He does not have to respond to reporters about the incident because his actions and kowtowing to Planned Parenthood speaks volumes. Rev. Robert Morey said afterwards, “Sadly, this past Sunday, I had to refuse Holy Communion to former Vice President Joe Biden. Holy Communion signifies we are one with God, each other and the Church. Our actions should reflect that. Any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching. As a priest, it is my responsibility to minister to those souls entrusted to my care, and I must do so even in the most difficult situations. I will keep Mr. Biden in my prayers.”
The priest denied him the sacrament because he knew that it would bring down God’s judgment upon him. The priest acted out of love, not enmity. He also knew that the occasion had been politicized. Every photo of Biden receiving Holy Communion falsely advertised that he was a good Catholic and that he and his views had the endorsement of the Church.
What Does the Church have to Say?
The following three citations have been heavily informative to my approach to the question of politicians and the reception of Holy Communion.
Canon 915 states: “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.”
Cardinal Ratzinger wrote in 2002: “Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.”
Cardinal Francis Arinze stated in 2004: “The norm of the church is clear, the church exists in the United States— there are bishops there, let them interpret it.” When asked if a priest should withhold communion to an “unambiguously pro-abortion” politician, he answered, “Yes.” “If the person should not receive communion, then he should not be given it.”
Priests under Pressure
Priests who are commanded by their Ordinaries never to withhold the sacrament are being told not to love as they should and to be silent in the face of the “holocaust” of innocents. Indeed, they are censured for making comparisons or allusions to other forms of mass murder or genocide. Policies, written and verbal, instruct parish priests that they must NEVER refer to one politician as pro-abortion and another as pro-life in homilies. They came speak generally about values but not to make matters personal. The impression is that we do not want to upset people. We do not want to appear as partisan. We do not want to see an attendance drop or loss in revenue. The subject is far deeper than what canon law stipulates. The passivity and silence of bishops on this matter of giving communion to pro-abortion politicians is systemic of the same malaise that condones silence and ineffective action against active homosexuals and pedophiles among the priests and bishops. When we should be champions of the truth; we hide behind lawyers and employ the verbiage of misdirection. We have made ourselves hypocrites when we should be sentinels for Christ. Called to a courageous faith and to take up crosses in following Jesus; too many are afraid and seek to play it safe. Priests are intimidated and threatened to be quiet and not to act. There are even rumors that despite the encouragement of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, policies are being assembled that will further restrict the actions of good priests but will also erase their proclamations on social media. Most dioceses stipulate that priests cannot give media interviews and must relay requests to chanceries. I suspect some of these fearful upper Church authorities were those that looked the other way when it came to the ravaging upheaval of rogue bishops like McCarrick, Bransfield and others. Claiming to respect the sanctity of life and then shutting down practical initiatives to save babies will not wash with God and will one day be condemned by those who judge the wrongs of history. There will be no hiding.
What is a True Disciple of Christ?
Biden has stated, “I’m a practicing Catholic. I practice my faith, but I’ve never let my religious beliefs, which I accept based on Church doctrine . . . impose . . . on other people.” This is essentially nonsensical. Although supported in the past, he has now denounced even the Hyde amendment. Catholic faith must always be lived out in obedience to the law of God and in a love of the Lord that is realized in charity. Christianity is not tolerant of immorality or sin. Freedom is not license but fidelity to the truth. Faithfulness is more than sitting oneself in a pew once a week; it is also taking the Christian kerygma or Good News in mission to the world around us. Pope John Paul II defined this message as the Gospel of Life. We are to convert the world, not to allow the world to convert us. We are to bring Christ’s light to the culture of death where we find ourselves. A believer is to be a person of strong character. His faith and values has importance in the lives of others; compromise is a failure to truly believe and definitely to love others. While the sanctity of life is constitutive of the Gospel, the issue of abortion is more than a sectarian issue; it is a human rights concern . . . none of us has the liberty to kill or to enable the termination of innocent human beings. How can we say AMEN to the hidden presence of Jesus in the Eucharist when we deny the hidden presence of the child in the womb made in his image?
Facing Ambiguity and Opposition
Those who possibly think differently on this matter have also been reported in the news.
Pope Francis, has attacked abortion in the harshest terms, equating efforts at abortion to mobs “hiring a hit man.” He is clearly defining it as murder. However, he has also intimated that communion should not be withheld from practicing Catholics based on what they do and do not believe. He wrote in 2013, “The Eucharist . . . is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.” What he gives, he takes away. The Holy Father’s efforts at ambiguity continue.
Cardinal Wuerl stated years ago in reference to Speaker Pelosi that he disagreed with holding back communion to manifestly pro-abortion politicians which he equated as “Communion wielded as a weapon.” “We never – the Church just didn’t use Communion this way. It wasn’t a part of the way we do things, and it wasn’t a way we convinced Catholic politicians to appropriate the faith and live it and apply it; the challenge has always been to convince people. There’s a question about whether this canon [915] was ever intended to be used.” He stated: “I stand with the great majority of American bishops and bishops around the world in saying this canon was never intended to be used this way.” Back in 2009, Cardinal Wuerl said that he thought “we’ve been making progress” in conveying the pro-life message to the Democratic Party and that “There was just a setback with the distraction of Communion.” However, today the party’s pro-life representation in national government is now all but extinguished. This essentially continued the policy of Cardinal McCarrick in Washington. We may remember the infamous memo presented to the USCCB by Cardinal McCarrick which essentially falsified and reversed the message from Cardinal Ratzinger.
Cardinal Cupich bluntly dismisses the mandate of canon 915 in a rather defeatist manner, “I think it would be counterproductive to impose sanctions, simply because they don’t change anybody’s minds.”
Past USCCB advisor John Carr asserted that “it’s a big loss for our faith and for our church, either way, when the Eucharist becomes a source of division instead of unity. In my view, denying communion to people for their public stances is bad theology, bad pastoral practice and bad politics.”
Faithful America is an organization demanding that Fr. Morey’s bishop force him to apologize to Biden and immediately direct all other priests not to deny communion based on politics. “When hate groups purport to speak for Christianity, we act. We challenge the Catholic hierarchy in the United States to live up to the inspiring words of Pope Francis and we stick up for courageous Christian voices for fairness and freedom in every denomination.” (But is the killing of children just a political issue or is it a HUMAN RIGHTS issue?)
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Fr. Kenneth Roberts died Thursday, December 20, 2018 around 4:50 ET in Cincinnati, Ohio. Born and raised in England, he later became an American citizen. He was 89 years of age. A charismatic and articulate priest, he easily made his early reputation as a stark defender and teacher of Catholic teaching. (Back in 1989, I got to meet him over a dinner in Birmingham, Alabama.) At the time he was filming programs locally for Mother Angelica and EWTN. His book PLAYBOY TO PRIEST was one of the works that influenced many young men to discern a vocation to the priesthood, myself included. Another notable book was NOBODY CALLS IT SIN ANYMORE. He is well remembered for his books, tapes, television appearances, retreats and support for the Medjugorje apparitions and messages.
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