Briefing: this issue has been in the news in the Americas, but clearly has equal relevance here. A 2004 document written by the then Cardinal Ratzinger, 'Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion', has been made public and bishops in Mexico and the United States have agreed to abide by it. It makes clear the long-standing position of the Church, that, first, support for abortion and euthanasia result in automatic excommunication, and, second, that those publicly known to be supporters of abortion or euthanasia must be refused Holy Communion.
For Catholic voters, the document states that “A Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for Holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate’s permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia. When a Catholic does not share a candidate’s stand in favor of abortion and/or euthanasia, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation, which can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons.” See Jimmy Akin for commentary on this.
For an article on a Honduran Cardinal who apparently rejects this position, see here.
For the fury of pro-abortion US politicians, and the reaction of the US Bishops' Conference, see here.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
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1 comment:
There is nothing illogical in banning those who promote abortion from receiving communion if the Church genuinely belives abortion is murder.
Where I am puzzled, and annoyed, is that Gerry Adams and the IRA were never banned from communion when they supported murder.
(I am not "anonymous" but I can not post otherwise, not being registered)
A D Jones MA Ashton u Lyne
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