his family the best; that being Christ and the state of full communion with the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Only there can be found the fullness of truth and an abiding reverence for natural law. Her members, myself included, mess up sometimes, however that does not change the fact that Holy Mother Church is a most perfect witness as the Bride of Christ in our world today. With new generations come new dilemmas I was pondering the situation regarding Ted Kennedy's cancer diagnosis and I'm beginning to wonder whether this could be the moment when everything hits the fan, so to speak. According to Canon Law anyone who actively supports abortion should not receive Holy Communion. Pro-abortion legislators, who are supposedly practicing Catholics, have been ignoring this rule of our faith for quite some time now. They've also publicly heaped on new abominations such as support for homosexual marriage and forwarding embryo destruction and experimentation agendas. They continue to present themselves for Holy Communion, even at Papal events. Scripture explicitly warns against receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ unworthily and, of course, so does the Church. While Pope Benedict was Prefect in the office of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he reiterated Church teachings on such matters. Here's a link to the short, concise letter - Here is a summary of the points which stand out - "Presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion should be a conscious decision, based on a reasoned judgment regarding one’s worthiness to do so, according to the Church’s objective criteria, asking such questions as: “Am I in full communion with the Catholic Church? Am I guilty of grave sin? Have I incurred a penalty (e.g. excommunication, interdict) that forbids me to receive Holy Communion? Have I prepared myself by fasting for at least an hour? The practice of indiscriminately presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion, merely as a consequence of being present at Mass, is an abuse that must be corrected." He wrote also about being in 'communion' with the Church and distinguished which issues rise above others - "There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia" The document goes on to say that the local Bishop or clergy should meet with the person in question and warn them that they must not receive Communion unworthily - When “these precautionary measures have not had their effect or in which they were not possible,” and the person in question, with obstinate persistence, still presents himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, “the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it.” "This decision, properly speaking, is not a sanction or a penalty. Nor is the minister of Holy Communion 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 situation of sin." Canon Law also states - Can. 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. Soooooooo, as I understand Church teachings, a public sinner, such as a pro-abort 'Catholic' politician, would have to publicly renounce his or her support for any gravely evil policy that he or she has PUBLICLY endorsed. So say you have a Catholic politician, who may have made a good confession before going to meet his or her maker; would that person be given a Church funeral? Even though it appears their support for abortion, for example, hasn't waned? Again, I'm talking here about PUBLIC SIN and the appearance of PUBLIC scandal, not private matters. I think it was last year a Church in Italy refused a funeral to an anti-life politician. I see a huge problem with the Kennedy situation in light of the senator's voting record. Will the Church endure the howls of the liberal media if it becomes necessary to deny a Funeral Mass to such a public persona in the future? Those who have perpetuated these modern day genocides and state sanctioned evils are coming of age. I think things are about to hit the fan. 5/21/2008 Please keep all in your prayers. |
