Are Pro-Choice Catholics Allowed Communion?

[Lief_Erikson]

I’m wondering if the USCCB or the Vatican has made any official order that pro-choice Catholics, or pro-choice Catholic politicians, should be barred from receiving Communion.

I know Cardinal Ratzinger made a strong recommendation to the USCCB (before he was pope) to ban Pro-Choice Catholic politicians from receiving Communion, and I believe another Vatican representative also said something to that effect, but I don’t know if this recommendation has ever been translated into an official command. Can anyone give me any official USSCB or Vatican sources or statements on this?

 

[Seatuck]

It’s up to the individual Bishop. Some Bishop’s have spoken out and issued instructions or even excommunications. But , by and large it is up to us to examine our own consciences and to form them to match that of the church.

 

[Onyx88]

         i too have been trying to get a straight answer on this .  I'm left bewildered and confused  because i know sen. Ted kennedy was pro-choice and all his family are but i saw them  receive communion at his funeral.  And i know he was a regular parishioner at the church he attended in mass.  (i'm almost positive it's one and the same).


                    Louise ~~~~~

 

[urstormy]

 

[Canto]

My reading is that they should not recieve Communion.

Canon 752 While the assent of faith is not required, a religious submission of intellect and will is to be given to any doctrine which either the Supreme Pontiff or the College of Bishops, exercising their authentic magisterium, declare upon a matter of faith or morals, even though they do not intend to proclaim that doctrine by definitive act. Christ’s faithful are therefore to ensure that they avoid whatever does not accord with that doctrine.

Given such unanimity in the doctrinal and disciplinary tradition of the Church, Pope Paul VI was able to declare that this tradition [regarding abortion] is unchanged and unchangeable. Therefore, by the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter and his Successors, in communion with the Bishops – who on various occasions have condemned abortion and who in the aforementioned consultation, albeit dispersed throughout the world, have shown unanimous agreement concerning this doctrine – I declare that direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being. This doctrine is based upon the natural law and upon the written Word of God, is transmitted by the Church’s Tradition and taught by the ordinary and universal Magisterium. (Evangelium Vitae, § 62)

Canon 915 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.

Support for abortion is a grave sin. The science is clear cut: conception = life.

Canon 1364 §1 An apostate from the faith, a heretic or a schismatic incurs a latae sententiae excommunication, without prejudice to the provision of Canon 194 §1, n. 2; a cleric, moreover, may be punished with the penalties mentioned in Canon 1336 §1, nn. 1, 2 and 3.

The Church’s opposition to abortion is infallible and a divinely revealed truth. Thus those Catholics who support abortion, aren’t they denying a divine truth and thus as the Church is clear in her position, does that not make them heretics.

Canon 751 Heresy is the obstinate denial or doubt, after baptism, of a truth which must be believed by divine and Catholic faith.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

My reading is that they should not recieve Communion.

Canon 752 While the assent of faith is not required, a religious submission of intellect and will is to be given to any doctrine which either the Supreme Pontiff or the College of Bishops, exercising their authentic magisterium, declare upon a matter of faith or morals, even though they do not intend to proclaim that doctrine by definitive act. Christ’s faithful are therefore to ensure that they avoid whatever does not accord with that doctrine.

Given such unanimity in the doctrinal and disciplinary tradition of the Church, Pope Paul VI was able to declare that this tradition [regarding abortion] is unchanged and unchangeable. Therefore, by the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter and his Successors, in communion with the Bishops – who on various occasions have condemned abortion and who in the aforementioned consultation, albeit dispersed throughout the world, have shown unanimous agreement concerning this doctrine – I declare that direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being. This doctrine is based upon the natural law and upon the written Word of God, is transmitted by the Church’s Tradition and taught by the ordinary and universal Magisterium. (Evangelium Vitae, § 62)

Canon 915 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.

Support for abortion is a grave sin. The science is clear cut: conception = life.

Canon 1364 §1 An apostate from the faith, a heretic or a schismatic incurs a latae sententiae excommunication, without prejudice to the provision of Canon 194 §1, n. 2; a cleric, moreover, may be punished with the penalties mentioned in Canon 1336 §1, nn. 1, 2 and 3.

The Church’s opposition to abortion is infallible and a divinely revealed truth. Thus those Catholics who support abortion, aren’t they denying a divine truth and thus as the Church is clear in her position, does that not make them heretics.

Canon 751 Heresy is the obstinate denial or doubt, after baptism, of a truth which must be believed by divine and Catholic faith.

Makes perfect sense to me, and I want to save this post you wrote. To my mind, it does show very effectively that to support abortion is heresy and one should not receive Communion while in this grave sin, according to official Church teaching.

I wish the USCCB or the Vatican would make this an official and public decree . . . and I still wonder whether or not they have.

I know that as Seatuck has said, some bishops have taken this action for their own diocese.

 

[dconklin]

Being Pro-Choice (believing that a pregnant mother has a choice) should not be a reason for ex-communication. Having, providing or legalizing an abortion is.

 

[EasterJoy]

The Archbishop of Portland in Oregon has stated clearly and often that cooperation with abortion, including voting for pro-choice candidates because of (rather than of in spite of) their stance is a grave sin and should result in the cooperating person refraining from Holy Communion. He has publicly criticized Oregon’s governor for actively supporting legal abortion while representing himself in public and in politics as a practicing Catholic. If you make your affiliation with his diocese a matter of public record while publicly working counter to Church teaching and refusing subsequent correction, then the bishop unfortunately has no choice but to correct publicly, too.

Archbishop Vlazny has also stated, however, that because of the considerable pastoral problems involved–which range from how realistic it is that even people with very high name recognition would be recognized at Mass to the likelihood that approaching Holy Communion for the purpose of being publicly denied could become a political act–neither Ordinary Ministers nor EMsHC should take it upon themselves to deny Holy Communion to another Catholic for reasons of public cooperation with grave sin.

My understanding is that because the barriers to refusing Holy Communion are pastoral, there is not a consensus among the bishops that there is a single best way to deal with this. At any rate, the bishops in the United States seem to have agreed that each will individually handle the situation in his own diocese.

 

[EasterJoy]

Being Pro-Choice (believing that a pregnant mother has a choice) should not be a reason for ex-communication. Having, providing or legalizing an abortion is.

It is acts that cooperate with abortion that are gravely sinful, yes. Willingly harboring the opinion that society should not stand in the way of those who would kill the defenseless is probably at least a near occasion of sin, but my understanding is that that is on a different level of seriousness than more direct cooperation.

On the other hand, Catholics in politics that express pro-choice views do pose a barrier to preventing abortions, even if they don’t vote directly for pro-choice legislation.

Making the rational recognition that the choice now exists legally, with police protection, if necessary, and that there are limits on what direct intervention may be undertaken with any hope of moving that choice in a positive direction is something different. It is not a grave sin to fail to throw your body in front of those who are heading for the abortion clinic. Where and in what ways duty requires us to intervene directly is a matter for case-by-case discernment.

 

[stuart12]

No one should call it ‘pro-choice’, its simply ‘pro-MURDER’ and a Catholic who agrees with this legalised slaughter is putting their soul in grave danger. One does not need to spread the heresy for one to be in a state of heresy, and those in this state must not receive the Blessed Sacrament.

All Catholics must constantly object to abortion, because if we are unable to understand the significance of the human person, what can we possibly get right?

 

[MusicMan]

What does it mean to be Pro-Choice? Does it mean that one supports the legalization of abortion? Does it mean that one supports keeping it legal? Or does it mean that one believes abortion to be legal under the Constitution and laws of the US?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I’m wondering if the USCCB or the Vatican has made any official order that pro-choice Catholics, or pro-choice Catholic politicians, should be barred from receiving Communion.

I know Cardinal Ratzinger made a strong recommendation to the USCCB (before he was pope) to ban Pro-Choice Catholic politicians from receiving Communion, and I believe another Vatican representative also said something to that effect, but I don’t know if this recommendation has ever been translated into an official command. Can anyone give me any official USSCB or Vatican sources or statements on this?

Normally that would be a matter taken up between an individual and their Pastor and/or Bishop. Public figures who make public statements or take public actions contrary to Church teachings is another matter.

 

[thistle]

What does it mean to be Pro-Choice? Does it mean that one supports the legalization of abortion? Does it mean that one supports keeping it legal? Or does it mean that one believes abortion to be legal under the Constitution and laws of the US?

Keep it simple. Pro-choice means a person supports the killing of an innocent life. Abortion is not legal in every country and its legality under the law of a country is irrelevant.
Many people tend to forget that just because something is legal in a country that does not mean its not a sin.
Many things are legal but are grave sins.

 

[MusicMan]

No, I don’t want to keep it simple. Too many people can get categorized under the “Pro-Choice”-shouldn’t-get-Communion category if we’re not sure what we’re talking about.

I don’t support abortion, but I do acknowledge that it is legal in the US, and if I were running for office, I don’t think I’d have anti-abortion be a plank in my platform.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

Or does it mean that one believes abortion to be legal under the Constitution and laws of the US?

Not this. Otherwise everyone in the world is Pro-Choice, because even though abortion is or should be considered unconstitutional, the present laws declare it to be legal.

What does it mean to be Pro-Choice? Does it mean that one supports the legalization of abortion? Does it mean that one supports keeping it legal?

Basically these. They are a grave sin. Being Pro-Choice is believing the slaughter of an innocent segment of society should be legal.

 

[Havard]

No, I don’t want to keep it simple. Too many people can get categorized under the “Pro-Choice”-shouldn’t-get-Communion category if we’re not sure what we’re talking about.

I don’t support abortion, but I do acknowledge that it is legal in the US, and if I were running for office, I don’t think I’d have anti-abortion be a plank in my platform.

What’s this thing you call anti-abortion? I only know of pro-life.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

Thanks for all the comments and thoughts, everyone .

 

[Canto]

Being Pro-Choice (believing that a pregnant mother has a choice) should not be a reason for ex-communication. Having, providing or legalizing an abortion is.

I confess…
in my **thoughts **
and in my words
in what I have done
and in what I have failled to do…

 

[benedictgal]

In 2004, fhe former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, as Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, released this statement to the USCCB. The letter reads, in part:

1. The Church teaches that abortion or euthanasia is a grave sin. The Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, with reference to judicial decisions or civil laws that authorise or promote abortion or euthanasia, states that there is a “grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection. …] In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to ‘take part in a propoganda campaign in favour of such a law or vote for it’” (no. 73). Christians have a “grave obligation of conscience not to cooperate formally in practices which, even if permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to God’s law. Indeed, from the moral standpoint, it is never licit to cooperate formally in evil. …] This cooperation can never be justified either by invoking respect for the freedom of others or by appealing to the fact that civil law permits it or requires it” (no. 74).

The letter further states that:

1. 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.

…[N.B. 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 favour 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.]

You can find the whole document here:

catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=6041&CFID=15087006&CFTOKEN=64330264

I hope this helps.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

Benedictgal, that letter sounds like a declaration rather than a recommendation .