Ok. What about Catholics who publically support the death penalty? Or are publically against immigration? Or are living in a non-marital relationship?
I don’t disagree, per se, with what the priest did. I just think that if we are going to publically deny one sinner, we should be doing it to all.
Not all people in non-marital relationships are sinning against chastity. Some older people “live together” and do not have illicit sexual relations — they may be physically unable to, or they may be cohabitating without benefit of marriage so as not to lose certain social benefits (tax advantages, pensions, Social Security, surviving spouse’s military insurance, etc.), or for mutual assistance. It is much easier for people of advanced age to live in “Josephite” situations. (There are exceptions.)
And it is entirely possible that a younger couple, who started out living together and fornicating, desire to repent and change their ways, but for reasons such as grave financial harm, care for one of the partners (one of them could be disabled and need the other one), or even having children together, could need to live in a “Josephite” situation. There are women who would be out on the streets with their small children if they didn’t have a partner to help them (whether the father or someone they met later). And so on.
People in these situations might be better off going to another parish where their marital status isn’t common knowledge, if they wish to receive the sacraments publicly. And of course they have to make the changes needed to minimize the possibility of succumbing to sexual temptation, where that temptation exists — separate bedrooms, modesty in dress, etc.
Abortion isn’t the only grave issue though.
And in this case, Joe Biden is not getting or giving an abortion, he just supports pro abortion policy which is bad, but does not rise to the level of actually committing the act
People who violate marriage laws and use contraception are also guily of grave sin and scandal. When was the last time you saw someone in one of those sinful states publically denied the Eucharist?
Unless it is a “Josephite” situation — and I would argue that the Josephite aspect of it needs to be disclosed by the partners if they are among people who know they aren’t “really married” — public adulterers (i.e., divorced and remarried couples with no annulment) most certainly should be denied communion.
Contraceptors aren’t generally known publicly — it can be suspected, but it is not the type of thing that can be known from outward circumstances. It’s a private sin by its nature. People who go around bragging “no more kids for me, I got fixed” — and I heard this time and again (in my former workplace) — are another story. I would hope people would never go around crowing like this at church.
