Many Catholics, including some bishops and priests, seem to be divided on the question of whether Catholic politicians who support legalized abortion should be denied Holy Communion. Obvious to me is the fact that many who attack the Church for even considering this stance do not understand the real issue here. Democrat Representative Ted Lieu, supposedly Catholic, recently dared the Church to deny him Communion for him supporting access to abortion and same-sex marriage. Some Democrats want the Catholic Church to be stripped of her tax-exempt status over what they call “politically weaponizing religion”. Is that what is really happening here?
The Holy Eucharist is the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ made present under the appearance of bread and wine. To a non-Catholic, that probably sounds crazy, but if you were to take the time to deeply study the Scriptures and especially John Chapter 6, you might understand why this is belief is true. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians in Chapter 11, verses 27 to 30 says, “27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.”
When the Church considers denying someone the Holy Eucharist due to an attachment to serious sin, the purpose is not to serve as a punishment. Rather, the Church is concerned that the person is profaning the body and blood of the Lord, and therefore placing his salvation in jeopardy. Being silent and allowing the person to receive Communion without warning would show a complete lack of concern for the person’s soul, and saving souls is the main purpose for the Church’s existence!
Another concern is the sin of scandal. Allowing pro-abortion politicians to receive the Eucharist implies that what they are doing is okay. If the Church does not take their sin seriously, then the rest of us need not take our sin seriously. That is not a good message to be sending to a world where moral responsibility is already in decline.
Denying someone the Holy Eucharist becomes a problem for the minister distributing Communion. In many parishes, lay people called Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs) assist in distributing Communion. They, along with the many priests and bishops, are not in a position to recognize every person who may approach in a seriously unworthy state, even those formally barred. Even then, is the Communion rail the place to make a scene? There is also the possibility, albeit unlikely, that the person has repented for his sin and been to confession. The logistics of denying someone Communion are complicated.
Truth be known, none of us are worthy, but those of us who acknowledge our sins and receive absolution, may approach humbly, asking for mercy. The best treatment may be education and some tough love. Pro-abortion Catholic politicians need to understand that they are risking their salvation.
Excommunication would send a strong message that repentance is urgently needed. Our time on this earth is a blip when compared with our time in eternity. Those who profaned the body and blood of Jesus Christ will be judged by him who they profaned. They may need to be shocked into reality.
Regarding the upcoming Eucharistic coherence document that the U.S. Bishops are drafting, I am not so concerned with the reported disagreement among the bishops as I am about the amount of publicity about their bickering. Bishops are not always going to agree with the best ways to deal with an issue. However, one would think they should keep their disagreements in-house until a consensus is reached. The letter signed by some sixty-seven members bishops in May calling for the Eucharistic coherence topic to be dropped from the conference agenda was widely reported.
Anytime the secular media reports on faith matters within the Church, they usually misunderstand Catholic theology when looking at these issues from a political viewpoint. This causes confusion among Catholics and non-Catholics. Who leaks these discussions to the media? The U.S. Bishops will eventually release a statement that will bring clarity to the question of who should and should not receive the Eucharist. How much weight the statement will carry remains to be seen.
