Catholics who support abortion should not receive Communion, says Archbishop Burke

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Michie

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Rome, Aug 19, 2008 / 10:00 am (CNA).- The prefect of the Apostolic Signature, Archbishop Raymond Burke, said this week that Catholics, especially politicians who publically defend abortion, should not receive Communion, and that ministers of Communion should be responsibly charitable in denying it to them if they ask for it, “until they have reformed their lives.”

In an interview with the magazine, Radici Christiane, Archbishop Burke pointed out that there is often a lack of reverence at Mass when receiving Communion. “Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ unworthily is a sacrilege,” he warned. “If it is done deliberately in mortal sin it is a sacrilege.”

To illustrate his point, he referred to “public officials who, with knowledge and consent, uphold actions that are against the Divine and Eternal moral law. For example, if they support abortion, which entails the taking of innocent and defenseless human lives. A person who commits sin in this way should be publicly admonished in such a way as to not receive Communion until he or she has reformed his life,” the archbishop said.

Continued- http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13562
 

Fish and Bread

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The ramifications of this will be interesting in the United States, where there are a lot of Catholic politicians who are pro-choice on abortion. Granted, this issue has come up before, and has been brought up by Archbishop Burke in particular before, but he's in a much more powerful position in the Church these days.

It is important to note that someone being precluded from communion doesn't necessarily preclude a Catholic from voting for said person in good conscience, though, per Cardinal Ratzinger's clarification in 2004. This is more of an issue between these politicians and their bishops and priests than one between the politicians and other members of the laity. The laity aren't charged with being the "good Catholic" police. :)
 
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FullyMT

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The laity are not allowed to deny anyone Communion as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, only the ordinary ministers...It is important to point out that the Archbishop did NOT say "Extraordinary ministers"

Also, voting for a pro-choice candidate is NOT the same as publicly supporting abortion...
 
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Antigone

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Look forward to more announcements of this sort as we move closer to the election.

...and already, I'm sick of them...

I mean, honestly - does anyone really think McCain will end abortion? He couldn't if he tried, and I'm not convinced he's trying all that hard.
 
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geocajun

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...and already, I'm sick of them...

I mean, honestly - does anyone really think McCain will end abortion? He couldn't if he tried, and I'm not convinced he's trying all that hard.
McCain has no plans to end abortion. His plan is to make it a state problem, which means abortion will always be legal somewhere in the USA.
McCain is pro-federalism, not pro-life.

Bush is actually pro-life, and yet even he was unable to change our policies of abortion being allowed everywhere, and for everyone at anytime during the pregnancy.

If Bush who is really pro-life couldn't do it, then a luke-warm pro-baby-killing-for-research guy like McCain certainly isn't going to do it.
 
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Fantine

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I've said it a hundred times. I don't know a single politician from any party who does not want to end, or at least minimize, the number of abortions in this country. (And criminalizing abortion would not end abortion, only reduce the number. And overturning Roe v. Wade would not end abortion, just change the stateside locations where it is offered.)

They have different ideas on how to end it.

Democrats: social programs, birth control
Republicans: overturning Roe v. Wade

Since both parties state in their platforms that they want to minimize abortion, it is then a voter's decision on which way will be more effective, and what the candidate's stand is on other life issues.

Burke was sent to Rome because his combativeness, divisiveness, and polarizing comments were hurting not only the two dioceses in which he served, but the image of the Church in America. And as long as there are Rush Limbaughs and Sean Hannitys and Lifesites in this world, I guess that we will hear his comments from time to time.

I think I'll head for work, with my radio set to NPR. I need a break.
 
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Davidnic

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...and already, I'm sick of them...

I mean, honestly - does anyone really think McCain will end abortion? He couldn't if he tried, and I'm not convinced he's trying all that hard.

He really isn't. There is not a pro-life candidate in this race. McCain will likely try to appoint a judge to the supreme court who opposes Roe. But...where McCain Vs Obama is a toss up...the composition of congress is not. That will be overwhelmingly democrat. He will not get one appointed...he will have to compromise on that. So the one thing that is holding a lot of pro-life people with McCain is his opposition to Roe...that he opposes for reasons of State's rights and not fundamentally on abortion...and the appointment of judges, that he will not have the congressional backing to appoint in as strict a fashion as necessary in the minds of those voting for that reason.

And Obama...although some of his social policies might reduce abortions, he does not want to end them and, it seems, is of the mind (implied by the logic of everything he says) that even if all social reasons were eliminated that he would support abortion for direct choice even if there were no impediments to the pregnancy aside from the choice to not have the child. And that is simple murder.

So neither is a good call unless those dynamics change. And if a politician has the view that even if social factors are eliminated or mitigated that abortion should exist as a function of choice...the bishop is 100% right in what he is saying in regard to those politicians. But everything is not a cookie cutter and I am sure in most cases that there is pastoral involvement with the politician before, during and after a decision relating to the denial of the Eucharist.
 
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ElviraRio

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McCain has no plans to end abortion. His plan is to make it a state problem, which means abortion will always be legal somewhere in the USA.
Just like the death penalty. Which incidentally enough usage has steadily declined in the last ten years. Why? Public support of it has waned. When public support of abortion takes a dive, then we will see a dive in the abortions. Which means it ain't ever gonna happen because too many people want it legal and want it available.
 
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Antigone

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Just like the death penalty. Which incidentally enough usage has steadily declined in the last ten years. Why? Public support of it has waned. When public support of abortion takes a dive, then we will see a dive in the abortions. Which means it ain't ever gonna happen because too many people want it legal and want it available.

You should do what we EU-denizens do. You can't be a member of the EU and have the death penalty remain legal, so whenever some poor former USSR-sob story of a nation wants to join us, we make sure they don't kill any criminals. We just bully 'em into submission.

Mwuhahaha.
 
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2Cosmic2Charlie

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He really isn't. There is not a pro-life candidate in this race.

When was there a pro-life candidate in the Presidental race ?

Bush II - did nothing

Dole ? - Doubt it

Clinton - you're call (and I'd guess you'd say no)

Bush I - did nothing

Regan - did nothing

Now were back in the 70's

Carter, Ford, Nixon ?

Now were in the 60's when Republicans were pro-abortion.

Kennedy, Goldwater, Nixon, LBJ, ?

Now were in the '50's.

Nixon (Man was he around a long time), Truman, Eisenhower, who ran against Truman in '48 ?

Give me a hand here.
 
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Davidnic

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When was there a pro-life candidate in the Presidental race ?

Bush II - did nothing

Dole ? - Doubt it

Clinton - you're call (and I'd guess you'd say no)

Bush I - did nothing

Regan - did nothing

Now were back in the 70's

Carter, Ford, Nixon ?

Now were in the 60's when Republicans were pro-abortion.

Kennedy, Goldwater, Nixon, LBJ, ?

Now were in the '50's.

Nixon (Man was he around a long time), Truman, Eisenhower, who ran against Truman in '48 ?

Give me a hand here.


In general...yeah we have been caught in a false image that we need to choose between two inadequate choices, neither of which fully represent the most important issues in any substantial way. They only maintain a status quo of diversionary and wedge issues so most voters remain attached to pavlovian responses to jargon and propaganda.

So someone really pro-life in all or even pro-life in most respects...hard to say if it has ever happened. There have been some in the primaries. In respect to abortion this election is bad on both ends.
 
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geocajun

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charlie did you not read what i said. when the public hates and abhors abortion the numbers will go down, not before. Which will never happen because this babylonian harlot of a country revels in personal liberties. it's plain silly to think that one dude in office can do anything about it.
I think we need to know why women get abortions before we can make it hated and abhorred. As it is right now the studies are all biased, and leave the public with the thought that its a necessary evil.
 
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2Cosmic2Charlie

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charlie did you not read what i said. when the public hates and abhors abortion the numbers will go down, not before. Which will never happen because this babylonian harlot of a country revels in personal liberties. it's plain silly to think that one dude in office can do anything about it.

I did read it and I agree with it but I am also sick and tired of people saying "there is no pro-life candidate in this race"

My point is:

There was NEVER a pro-life candidate in ANY race and, by extention, pro-lifer banging on only one party is strictly a political thing masquarating as a moral issue.
 
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ElviraRio

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I think we need to know why women get abortions before we can make it hated and abhorred. As it is right now the studies are all biased, and leave the public with the thought that its a necessary evil.
they get abortions because they feel unloved and worthless. No amount of legislation can help to change this, this work is for those willing to go to the women one on one and help them.
 
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Davidnic

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The 95/10 plan and the Pregnant Women Support Act has as a vital part funding studies of accurate info on abortions and why they happen in order to identify them in route to their elimination.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops supports the law.

A PDF from USCCB: Link

Quote from linked document:

Catholic teaching affirms the right to life for every person- born and unborn- and insists every life is sacred and has inherent dignity. The Bishops’ Conference consistently and unequivocally supports laws and programs that encourage childbirth and adoption over abortion and that work to address poverty, provide health care, and offer other assistance to pregnant women, children, and families.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has worked closely with lawmakers to seek passage of the Pregnant Women Support Act. The Bishops’ Conference has said “By providing practical resources and information, the bill will empower pregnant women to make healthy choices for themselves and their children, born and unborn…The Pregnant Women’s Support Act is truly a common-ground initiative to reduce the number of abortions in the United States…Everyone can agree that no woman should choose abortion under financial duress or because she is threatened by domestic violence during her pregnancy.”


So since we are talking about listening to bishops (also from the document):

Contact your Representative and Senators and urge them to co-sponsor the Pregnant Women Support Act (H.R. 3192 or S. 2407). All member of Congress should hear from their constituents that reducing the number of abortions in the United States and supporting vulnerable mothers and their children should be a national priority.

Incidentally S. 2407 (Click for info and text) is sponsored by Bob Casey Jr. who will be speaking at the Democratic National Convention.

No matter what party or person people support, Catholics should take heed of the USCCB and do whatever we can to get these made into law.
 
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