Tag Archives: abortion

Weak as Water

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Well, this is certainly a disappointment to me. Bishop Donald Wuerl, otherwise an upstanding, orthodox guy, has taken the politically correct way of the communion denial issue. Another bishop (I forget who at the moment) at least had the guts to say that no Catholic would take communion unworthily. In other words, to do so would make one un- or non-Catholic. Wuerl’s statement seems to laugh in the face of Canon 915.

Wuerl doesn’t back disciplining abortion rights politicians
Says bishops’ role is to educate them
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Pittsburgh’s Catholic bishop said today that Catholic politicians should not support legalized abortion but he does not advocate denying them Holy Communion."

Wuerl: Catholic legislators should make own decision on communion
Bishop says politicians like Kerry who favor abortion rights should stop receiving Holy Communion of their own accord
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
By Ervin Dyer and Mackenzie Carpenter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Pittsburgh’s Catholic bishop said yesterday that Catholic politicians should not support legalized abortion but that he does not advocate denying them Holy Communion."

Don’t deny sacrament, Wuerl says
By Robert Baird
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, May 26, 2004

"Catholic politicians who support abortion violate church teachings, but Pittsburgh’s Roman Catholic bishop said Tuesday he does not favor denying them the sacrament of Holy Communion."

On a related note:

Catholics Should Vote Pro-Life First, Despite Dissident Opinions
by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Editor
May 6, 2004

"Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A leading Catholic bishop has sparked controversy by suggesting that abortion is just one of many issues Catholic voters should consider when making a decision for whom to vote. Those comments stand in opposition to the overwhelming number of Catholic leaders who say other issues are important but that the pro-life perspective is paramount."

Cruel and Unusual

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This is an angle against late term abortion that I hadn’t heard of. I wonder how many people
assume abortion is always painless for the child.

FRC
Endorses ‘Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act’

“WASHINGTON, May 20 /PRNewswire/ — Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony
Perkins released the following statement in support of Sen. Sam Brownback’s (R-KS)
‘Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act’ legislation:”

“We cannot deny the medical evidence now before us. From testimony taken during
the recent partial-birth abortion hearings and advancements in the field of in utero
technology, science is telling us unborn children as young as 20 weeks old can feel
pain. The evidence we have is clear, and we should not keep that evidence from women.”

And the Beat Goes On

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Another day, another spin of Earth, and another statement regarding withholding Communion. More and more foreign bishops are commenting on the political mess here.

Kerry Shouldn't Take Communion, Says Canadian Bishop
Cites "Defiant Dissent"; 2 Arizona Prelates Won't Hold Back the Eucharist

"CALGARY, Alberta, MAY 21, 2004 (Zenit.org).- U.S. presidential hopeful John Kerry should voluntarily abstain from, or be denied, Communion 'by reason of his defiant dissent from fundamental Catholic teaching,' says a Canadian bishop."

Protecting the sanctity of the Eucharist is not just a political issue. On the other hand, I'd like to see a less lop-sided defense of Catholic teachings. If only I had a dollar for every time a liberal has said, "What about other unCatholic positions (i.e. aside from abortion) held by politicians?"

Cardinal Expects Many U.S. Prelates Wouldn't Restrict Holy Communion
In Interview With Italian Magazine

"ROME, MAY 21, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Cardinal Theodore McCarrick speculates that many U.S. bishops would not like to see the Eucharist used as a sanction against pro-abortion politicians."

Round and Round We Go

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It seems no matter how hard I try to move on, this topic just keeps coming back.
The repercussions are too important and the exchanges too interesting to ignore.

US politicians
warn of of anti-Catholic hate revival

“48 Catholic members of Congress have signed a letter warning that the church risks
bringing ‘great harm’ on itself if bishops decide to deny Communion to
legislators who support abortion rights or take other public positions that are
odds with church doctrine.”

American
Life League Response to House Catholics’ Letter to Cardinal McCarrick: Political
Threats Don’t Change Objective Truth, You Can’t Be Catholic
Thu May 20, 1:12 PM ET
Contact: Joseph R. Giganti of of American Life League, 703-928-9695, jgiganti@all.org

“WASHINGTON, May 20 /U.S. Newswire/ — Judie Brown, president of American Life League,
issued the following response to the 48 Catholic members of the U.S. House who sent
a letter warning Theodore Cardinal McCarrick to the political repercussions of withholding
Communion from pro-abortion Catholic politicians:”

Examination of Conscience

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This should be expanded to include other issues that affecting Catholic consciences,
such as fair justice, feeding hungry, caring for the sick, clothing the naked, etc.
Unless the Church gets tough on all the issues, we’ll look like an organization
of hypocrites.

I have a weird deja vu feeling right now, as if I blogged about this kind of thing
a looooong time ago. I tried looking back in the archives, but I couldn’t find a
match. *shrug*

Defiant
Catholic Voters Shouldn’t Receive Communion, Say 2 Bishops
Prelates in Colorado and Oregon Extend Warnings Beyond Politicians

“COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, MAY 14, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Bishop Michael Sheridan says
that Catholics should not receive Communion if they vote for politicians who defy
Church teaching by supporting abortion, same-sex marriage, euthanasia or stem-cell
research.”