A denial I disagree with

In the Roman Catholic Church there has been a lot of talk, going mostly one way, about the denial of holy Communion to pro-choice politicians. The issue has been going on for years.

Four years ago there was talk about denying the Holy Eucharist to John Kerry and nowadays it's about Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden. Here's what I don't understand: Why would you deny Communion to the people who might need it the most?

Back in 2004, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) issued a memo to the US Catholic bishops giving guidance on denying Communion to Catholic politicians who support legal abortion. In it he stated that there should be a private admonishment of the sin, but if necessary, there should be a denial of Communion. He wrote that "the minister of holy Communion [is not] passing judgment on the person's subjective guilt, but rather is reacting to the person's public unworthiness to receive holy Communion due to an objective sin."

However, in this "reaction" is this minister not making an actual "judgment" on the politician? The very action of deeming someone unworthy requires the formation of some judgment.

If the Church is worried about the public unworthiness of a public servant, I agree that they should privately chat with the politician, and perhaps even make a public statement disagreeing with the politician's public position. However, denying them the body and blood of Christ does little to change that politician's mind. The Church in this case may be alienating people that they should be trying to form. Jesus gave us Himself in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to nourish our souls and bring us into communion with Himself, the Father, and His followers. Talk to them, teach them, let the Holy Spirit guide them but do not turn them away.

What would Jesus do? I propose He would say to the pro-choice politicians, "Stop doing that! Let me tell you why..." and then invite them to dinner.

Read Mark 2:15-17,

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."


(Photo courtesy of http://stmartincatholichurch.com)