LA Times Gives Cover to "Catholic" Politicains

Politicizing Communion
The Vatican wisely backpedaled after Pope Benedict XVI said he agreed with excommunicating pro-choice legislators in Mexico.
May 14, 2007

A SAYING ATTRIBUTED to St. Augustine translates from the Latin as "Rome has spoken; the matter is settled." Fortunately for some Catholic politicians in the United States, that isn't always the case.

On Wednesday, as he was flying to Brazil, Pope Benedict XVI answered "yes" when asked if he agreed with the excommunication of Catholic legislators in Mexico who had voted to legalize abortion. But almost immediately the Vatican began backpedaling from the impression that the church wants to discipline pro-choice politicians.

Backpedaling? Was it not, as Dr. Peters and others stated last week, a clarification of what was actually said, and of the applicable canons of the Church's laws?

And what of Cardinal Ratzinger's memo, "Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion. General Principles", in which he states quite clearly:

5. 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.

6. When "these precautionary measures have not had their effect or in which they were not possible," and the person in question, with obstinate persistence, still presents himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, "the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it" (cf. Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Declaration "Holy Communion and Divorced, Civilly Remarried Catholics" [2002], nos. 3-4). This decision, properly speaking, is not a sanction or a penalty. Nor is the minister of Holy Communion passing judgement on the person’s subjective guilt, but rather is reacting to the person’s public unworthiness to receive Holy Communion due to an objective situation of sin.

The Holy Father (then as Cardinal Ratzinger) could not have been clearer...

But the LA Times is not concerned with the details as long as it can demonstrate, albeit falsely, that public support of murdering unborn babies by Catholic politicians is not at odds with the teachings of the Church.

But what about the implication by Benedict at his news conference that legislators who support legal abortion might be cutting themselves off from "Communion with the body of Christ"? Was the pope endorsing the idea, popular among some conservative Catholics, that pro-choice politicians should be denied the sacrament of Holy Communion? Not necessarily.

"Not necessarily"???? Again, we need only refer back to Dr. Peters' explanations here...

[There are]... opposing positions in the debate among Catholic bishops about whether priests should refuse Communion to pro-choice politicians (as the archbishop of St. Louis believes) or leave it to elected officials to search their consciences (the position of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony).

Some bishops are content to scandalize the faithful while others, faithful to Christ and His Church, take our Lord at His word and seriously consider the harm that scandal cause for the faithful.

...in America's pluralistic democracy, an attempt by church authorities to punish the way legislators vote would raise questions about representatives' independence and responsiveness to constituents. As the Vatican seemed to recognize in clarifying the pope's comments, that wouldn't be good for church or state. Better to say that Rome has misspoken. (my emphasis)

Any politician who advocates the denial of the most basic human and civil rights for some (the innocent unborn) and who reject the natural moral law are unworthy of being representatives of citizens of a civilized society. They are nothing more than mercenaries and followers of Satan and his cohorts. Those who profess to be Catholics yet advocate and enact laws contrary to the natural moral law, contrary to God, contrary to right reason, and contrary to the Church, should be opposed at every opportunity by faithful Catholics, and by the priests and bishops who are suppoesed to be their shepherds.