Vatican Cardinal Ends Debate: No Communion for Pro-Abortion Politicians or Rainbow Sa

[buffalo]

Vatican Cardinal Ends Debate: No Communion for Pro-Abortion Politicians or Rainbow Sashers

Says “Are we going to change Divine Law, how God made us?”

VATICAN CITY, February 16, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, the top Vatican Cardinal in charge of the sacraments of the Catholic Church has made it plain in an on-camera interview with EWTN that pro-abortion politicians may not be admitted to Holy Communion.

A February 11 EWTN broadcast of the news program, World Over Live, with host Raymond Arroyo, featured an interview with Arinze, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The interview covered a wide range of topics, including female altar servers, Latin in the Mass, abortion and the rainbow sash movement.

Arroyo questioned the Vatican Cardinal saying: “Last year, you were asked at a press conference whether a politician, a Catholic politician who supports abortion publicly should be permitted to the Communion rail, should be permitted to receive Communion publicly. What is your response to that?”

Cardinal Arinze responded, “The answer is clear. If a person says I am in favour of killing unborn babies whether they be four thousand or five thousand, I have been in favour of killing them. I will be in favour of killing them tomorrow and next week and next year. So, unborn babies, too bad for you. I am in favour that you should be killed, then the person turn around and say I want to receive Holy Communion. Do you need any Cardinal from the Vatican to answer that?

Laughing, Arroyo responded, “It should be pretty transparent.” To which the Cardinal concluded, “Simple, ask the children for First Communion, they’ll give you the answer.”

Similarly, Cardinal Arinze ruled out Communion for homosexual activists.

Arroyo noted that while some US bishops have refused Communion to Rainbow Sash activists, others such as Archbishop Harry Flynn of Minneapolis - St. Paul have not. Flynn, after meeting with Cardinal Arinze in Rome recently, suggested that the Cardinal was open to allowing communion for Rainbow Sash activists.

Arroyo first confirmed the meeting with Archbishop Flynn took place. “Did such a conversation take place between you and this archbishop?,” asked Arroyo, to which Cardinal Arinze responded, “Yes.”

Arroyo followed with “And were you open to allowing this group to receive Communion as he inferred in some of the newspapers.”

The Vatican Cardinal responded, “No, no. You see, let’s get it clear. These rainbow sash people, are they really saying we are homosexuals, we intend to remain so and we want to receive Holy Communion. The question arises; take the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It says it is not condemning a person for having homosexual tendency. We don’t condemn anybody for that. **But a person stands condemned for acting on it.”
**
**On homosexuality the Cardinal was clear. “The Catholic Church has never accepted homosexuality as normal. You read the scripture. It’s very clear. What exactly are we examining? Are we going to change Divine Law, how God made us?”
**
He made a distinction between active homosexuals and those with homosexual tendencies. “Quite another matter if a person had just the tendencies and is making (an) effort to live the Divine Law, then that’s fine. So, we respect persons but be clear on the truth,” he said.

 

[condan]

Vatican Cardinal Ends Debate: No Communion for Pro-Abortion Politicians or Rainbow Sashers

Says “Are we going to change Divine Law, how God made us?”

VATICAN CITY, February 16, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, the top Vatican Cardinal in charge of the sacraments of the Catholic Church has made it plain in an on-camera interview with EWTN that pro-abortion politicians may not be admitted to Holy Communion.

A February 11 EWTN broadcast of the news program, World Over Live, with host Raymond Arroyo, featured an interview with Arinze, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The interview covered a wide range of topics, including female altar servers, Latin in the Mass, abortion and the rainbow sash movement.

Arroyo questioned the Vatican Cardinal saying: “Last year, you were asked at a press conference whether a politician, a Catholic politician who supports abortion publicly should be permitted to the Communion rail, should be permitted to receive Communion publicly. What is your response to that?”

Cardinal Arinze responded, “The answer is clear. If a person says I am in favour of killing unborn babies whether they be four thousand or five thousand, I have been in favour of killing them. I will be in favour of killing them tomorrow and next week and next year. So, unborn babies, too bad for you. I am in favour that you should be killed, then the person turn around and say I want to receive Holy Communion. Do you need any Cardinal from the Vatican to answer that?

Laughing, Arroyo responded, “It should be pretty transparent.” To which the Cardinal concluded, “Simple, ask the children for First Communion, they’ll give you the answer.”

Similarly, Cardinal Arinze ruled out Communion for homosexual activists.

Arroyo noted that while some US bishops have refused Communion to Rainbow Sash activists, others such as Archbishop Harry Flynn of Minneapolis - St. Paul have not. Flynn, after meeting with Cardinal Arinze in Rome recently, suggested that the Cardinal was open to allowing communion for Rainbow Sash activists.

Arroyo first confirmed the meeting with Archbishop Flynn took place. “Did such a conversation take place between you and this archbishop?,” asked Arroyo, to which Cardinal Arinze responded, “Yes.”

Arroyo followed with “And were you open to allowing this group to receive Communion as he inferred in some of the newspapers.”

The Vatican Cardinal responded, “No, no. You see, let’s get it clear. These rainbow sash people, are they really saying we are homosexuals, we intend to remain so and we want to receive Holy Communion. The question arises; take the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It says it is not condemning a person for having homosexual tendency. We don’t condemn anybody for that. But a person stands condemned for acting on it.”

On homosexuality the Cardinal was clear. “The Catholic Church has never accepted homosexuality as normal. You read the scripture. It’s very clear. What exactly are we examining? Are we going to change Divine Law, how God made us?”

He made a distinction between active homosexuals and those with homosexual tendencies. “Quite another matter if a person had just the tendencies and is making (an) effort to live the Divine Law, then that’s fine. So, we respect persons but be clear on the truth,” he said.

Excellent post. Thank you. What was the Cardinal’s perspective on altar girls?

 

[Scout]

Amen for this! Raymond Arroyo always asks the questions I would ask if I were able to speak to the people he does. I love that show!

I’m afraid, however, that some people will still ignore this and do whatever they want.

Scout :tiphat:

 

[smeeko]

They could not keep doing what they want, if a clear written note/order came from the Vatican.
A TV interview is great, but there also needs to be approriate formal action taken, so that nobody can say: “I did not see the interview” “I was out of town”.

God Bless,

Enrico in CO

 

[fix]

I like Arinze. I just wish for once an official would come out and say this bishop, or cardinal, is dead wrong and should not have said what he said.

Collegiality can only go so far.

 

[Maranatha]

Vatican Cardinal Ends Debate: No Communion for Pro-Abortion Politicians or Rainbow Sashers

Arroyo questioned the Vatican Cardinal saying: “Last year, you were asked at a press conference whether a politician, a Catholic politician who supports abortion publicly should be permitted to the Communion rail, should be permitted to receive Communion publicly. What is your response to that?”

Cardinal Arinze responded, “The answer is clear. If a person says I am in favour of killing unborn babies whether they be four thousand or five thousand, I have been in favour of killing them. I will be in favour of killing them tomorrow and next week and next year. So, unborn babies, too bad for you. I am in favour that you should be killed, then the person turn around and say I want to receive Holy Communion. Do you need any Cardinal from the Vatican to answer that?

Unfortunately, I think the interviewer left an opening for Pro Choice advocates. Such an advocate can still say, I’m not in favor of any abortions but I’m in favor of the individual’s right to make that choice.

We need a clear statement from the Vatican on the Church’s stance on politician’s position on Choice. They must say supporting the right to choose murder is just as bad as the choice of murder itself.

 

[Lisa_N]

condan:

Excellent post. Thank you. What was the Cardinal’s perspective on altar girls?

Say there is another thread on the subject but I am glad this one was posted as there is more detail.

As to altar girls, the Cardinal said that boys are to be preferred as altar servers. He said that this is not to demean girls or to indicate they are not worthy to serve (my paraphrase) but that this is often where our vocations come from. A young man having the opportunity to work closely with a priest and be inspired to consider a vocation is the reason. He didn’t say whether he was an altar server but said it was the priests who inspired his vocation.

I thought that was a very rational answer that hopefully will quiet the latent feminists although they are probably still mad they can’t be priests…

Lisa N

 

[condan]

Lisa N:

Say there is another thread on the subject but I am glad this one was posted as there is more detail.

As to altar girls, the Cardinal said that boys are to be preferred as altar servers. He said that this is not to demean girls or to indicate they are not worthy to serve (my paraphrase) but that this is often where our vocations come from. A young man having the opportunity to work closely with a priest and be inspired to consider a vocation is the reason. He didn’t say whether he was an altar server but said it was the priests who inspired his vocation.

I thought that was a very rational answer that hopefully will quiet the latent feminists although they are probably still mad they can’t be priests…

Lisa N

Thanks Lisa N. I would like my boys to be servers but hesitate as in our new parish there are altar girls as well (though not as many as before we moved). To my way of thinking, this takes away from the masculine aspect, which is very important to boys at their ages. It also promotes the idea that women will “someday” be ordained which I totally oppose.

Thanks again. You always add such a reasoned perspective to each thread.

Katherine

 

[Lisa_N]

Maranatha:

Unfortunately, I think the interviewer left an opening for Pro Choice advocates. Such an advocate can still say, I’m not in favor of any abortions but I’m in favor of the individual’s right to make that choice.

We need a clear statement from the Vatican on the Church’s stance on politician’s position on Choice. They must say supporting the right to choose murder is just as bad as the choice of murder itself.

Only by the most convoluted reasoning could someone hide behind the ‘choice’ banner. Being in favor of allowing abortion at one’s option, any time, for any reason is not a prolife statement.

Lisa N

 

[Lisa4Catholics]

Yeah!!! Now where is Katherine:nope: :ehh: Hopefully now they will denounce their position and retract.If they love Holy Mother Church they will go to confession and publicly renounce the murder and the “right” to murder the unborn.God Bless

 

[CinciMom]

Lisa4Catholics:

Yeah!!! Now where is Katherine:nope: :ehh:

I was thinking the exact same thing while reading this thread. Very interesting…

 

[Anna_Elizabeth]

Scout:

Amen for this! Raymond Arroyo always asks the questions I would ask if I were able to speak to the people he does. I love that show! Scout :tiphat:

Exactly my thought. Arroyo is just outstanding. He not only asks the right questions, but he sticks with them week after week and interview after interview. He doesn’t let himself be either permanently sidetracked or “spinned” from what he wants to know. We are so blessed to have him out there asking our questions!

God bless,

Anna

 

[Lisa_N]

Exactly my thought. Arroyo is just outstanding. He not only asks the right questions, but he sticks with them week after week and interview after interview. He doesn’t let himself be either permanently sidetracked or “spinned” from what he wants to know. We are so blessed to have him out there asking our questions!

God bless,

Anna

And blessed by having Cardinal Arinze to answer them! I was simply blown away by his succinct, authoritative and very well reasoned answers. He is such an asset to the Church.

Lisa N

 

[katherine2]

“The answer is clear. If a person says I am in favour of killing unborn babies whether they be four thousand or five thousand, I have been in favour of killing them. I will be in favour of killing them tomorrow and next week and next year. So, unborn babies, too bad for you. I am in favour that you should be killed, then the person turn around and say I want to receive Holy Communion

.

I totally agree with the Cardinal. Any person who sincerely says “I am in favor of killing unborn babies” should not be going to communion. I’ve always beleived that.

 

[TPJCatholic]

John Kerry supports abortion, to such a strong level that he intended to make abortion more accessible…abortion is killing the unborn…so John Kerry supported killing to the unborn.

 

[Lisa_N]

TPJCatholic:

John Kerry supports abortion, to such a strong level that he intended to make abortion more accessible…abortion is killing the unborn…so John Kerry supported killing to the unborn.

Absolutely. THere was no reason to vote against the ban on PBA UNLESS you support abortion at any time for any reason. There is no medical reason ever to do this procedure other than to kill the baby. Further they stuck a “life of the mother” exception in which was the stumbling block on the last attempt. What possible reason did he have other than to curry favor with the proaborts? That was the first and last straw for me with respect to Kerry. How low can you go?

Lisa N

 

[TPJCatholic]

Lisa,

I agree–John Kerry is just about as pro-abortion as a person gets. He did not even attempt to hide it with statements about reducing the need for abortions, he openly and very publicly made it clear that he would do everything he could (as President) to make access to legal abortion evn more easy then ever.
His is a classic case and fits exactly into the category the good Cardinal is speaking of.

 

[katherine2]

Lisa N:

That was the first and last straw for me with respect to Kerry.Lisa N

Yeah, right. Your prior respect was well known.

 

[StJeanneDArc]

katherine2:

.

I totally agree with the Cardinal. Any person who sincerely says “I am in favor of killing unborn babies” should not be going to communion. I’ve always beleived that.

Oh, I see. Only what a person says matters, not what he does.

 

[Lisa4Catholics]

StJeanneDArc:

Oh, I see. Only what a person says matters, not what he does.

Apparently that seems to be what is being said Kerry,Kennedy and the rest consistantly protect the murder of the unborn,they can say they are against it but they vote to protect it!