Father McCartney on the dissenting Catholics receiving communion

Last month, the joy and enthusiasm for the Pope’s visit was somewhat disturbed by the annoying Pro-abortion Catholic politicians who seemed determined to publicly receive Holy Communion at the papal masses. Even more perturbing was that they were allowed to receive.

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  • However, during the Mass at St. Patrick’s, Rudolf Giuliani, the former Mayor of New York, was seen and photographed receiving Holy Communion. When he emerged from the cathedral a reporter asked him specifically about this and the former mayor confirmed that he had received Communion. This story was then picked up by the news media at large. The following day Newsday ran an article about it.

  • Mr. Novak pointed out that there were many other Catholics who would have loved to have attended a Papal Mass, but were denied for lack of seats. Was it right then, that those who publicly reject Church teaching should be given the honor of attending the Pope’s Mass?

  • John Allen, the well-known Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter, concluded that these incidents during the recent Papal visit had clearly encouraged the notion that pro-abortion Catholic politicians are eligible to receive Communion. However, in 2004, then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger told the American bishops that Catholic politicians who publicly support abortion are in a state of serious sin and may not receive Holy Communion. The Vatican has recently reasserted that there has been absolutely no change in the Pope’s or the Church’s position on this issue. Sean Dolan, spokesman for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, said that our diocese adheres to Church doctrine that prohibits abortion and added that any public official who advocates abortion should not receive Communion.

  And Father McCartney is right – this was a bold move on the part of Guiliani et al. They have no reason to fear publicly professing their Catholicism and dissenting from the church’s teachings at the same time! For the regular lay person, this is disheartening. It’s disheartening to divorced Catholics who go through the annulment process, and to those who bravely protest against abortion, pray and give support to pro-life causes. in other words, the Catholics in the trenches, trying to get it right aren’t exactly feeling supported when apparently to the church authorities, it doesn’t seem to matter that much.

  • Some argue that the Eucharist should never be a source of division. They forget that the Eucharist has always been a source of division among people since Our Lord announced it Himself in the synagogue in Capernaum:

    The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [His] flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and thinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day…. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you?” … As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” [Jn 6:52-54; 60- 61; 66-69]

    The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not something we vote on to determine whether we like it or not. It is not determined by a poll of how many Catholics would like it to change, to be made easier, more convenient, or softer. Jesus gave the Church His Gospel with the “Great Commission” to “teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.” [Mt 28: 20] We cannot pick and choose what we prefer to follow as Catholics. We must either accept the whole Gospel or reject the Gospel wholly.

I guess it should be surprise that the Americans couldn’t get this figured out before the Pope’s visit! This isn’t an issue that is going away. It’s something the bishops need to address although I fear it will probably be the next generation of “Young Fogey” bishops that finally get a handle on it.