Posted on 06/30/2006 10:09:36 PM PDT by Coleus
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick's oral report on behalf of the Task Force of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Politicians, delivered at a meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on June 15, 2006, was a great disappointment. At a time when a fundamental truth -- that canon law is binding in every diocese and not to be implemented or ignored depending upon the personal preference of each diocesan bishop (or the influence of a particular Catholic politician) -- needs to be asserted unequivocally, and canon law needs to be implemented equally and emphatically, the soon-to-retire Cardinal's performance led to recall that Jesus once angrily said, "Get behind me Satan", and to imagine that the Cardinal seemed more likely to frown than cheer if the story of Jesus chasing the moneychangers from The Temple had been told.
In fairness, I set forth Cardinal McCarrick's words in full and comment in bracketed Notes.
"My Brother Bishops --
"Though it sometimes seems like forever, it was just a few years ago when I submitted a varium asking the Conference to help us address the frustrating reality of some Catholics in political life who consistently seem to reject fundamental Catholic principles in their public actions. Who knew then how much attention – and indeed, tension – would soon surround this topic. It is important to remember that this is not about one election or one campaign. It is about how we as bishops faithfully fulfill our responsibilities as moral teachers, as caring pastors, and as leaders of the Catholic community within a democratic and pluralistic nation.
"Our primary task was expressed well in our Holy Father's encyclical Deus Caritas Est. In his letter, Pope Benedict insists, 'The Church cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice' (#28), and he goes on to declare:
It is not the Church's responsibility to make this teaching prevail in political life. Rather, the Church wishes to help form consciences in political life and to stimulate greater insight into the authentic requirements of justice as well as greater readiness to act accordingly... (#28).
"Our Holy Father calls lay men and women to bring their faith, their experience and their particular competence to the pressing moral issues of our time. I quote again:
As citizens of the State, they are called to take part in public life... The mission of the lay faithful is therefore to configure social life correctly, respecting its legitimate autonomy and cooperating with other citizens according to their respective competences and fulfilling their own responsibility (#29).
"This Task Force has been trying to address these related responsibilities. We all recognize we have much work to do. Too many Catholics -- in and out of political life -- do not know or do not understand what the Church teaches and why. Some may know our policy positions, but not the moral principles or teaching that lead to these public commitments. Sadly, some Catholic legislators may know our teaching, but choose party over faith and political advantage over Catholic teaching, thereby pursuing public policies divorced from fundamental moral principles.
"In the face of these real challenges, we believe our earlier Task Force report and our common statement on Catholics in Political Life, overwhelmingly adopted in Denver, taken together with the Doctrinal Note and the statements, Living the Gospel of Life and Faithful Citizenship, offer the best framework for the future. Bishops around the country are using and building on these statements. I want here to emphasize that the Task Force, in all our activities and at every meeting, has insisted that there is no substitute for the local bishop's pastoral judgment and his vital relationships with Catholic public officials in his own diocese.
[My Note: I want to emphasize that whether or not a notoriously pro-abortion "Catholic" politician is to be permitted to create a public scandal by sacrilegiously received Holy Communion and thereby pose as a faithful practicing Catholic depends upon canon law, not geographical happenstance. And canon law requires that such a person be refused instead of accommodated. To accommodate is not only to cooperate with that politician's campaign strategy, but, infinitely more importantly, to disobey canon law and to cooperate in sacrilege and public scandal, creating confusion where clarity must prevail.]
"As we expressed in Denver, bishops can come to different prudential and pastoral judgments in this area. Our modest task has been to offer assistance and tools to help bishops carry out our duties, reflecting our unity in our teaching and respecting diversity in pastoral practice in a spirit of genuine collegiality.
[My Note: His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since 1981, stated succinctly, emphatically and unambiguously in the Doctrinal Note that Cardinal McCarrick received (but did not promptly share with all of his fellow bishops) as follows:
"1. Presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion should be a conscious decision, based on a reasoned judgement 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 (cf. Instruction 'Redemptionis Sacramentum,' nos. 81, 83).
"2. The Church teaches that abortion or euthanasia is a grave sin. The Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, with reference to judicial decisions or civil laws that authorise or promote abortion or euthanasia, states that there is a 'grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection. [...] In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to "take part in a propaganda campaign in favour of such a law or vote for it"' (no. 73). Christians have a 'grave obligation of conscience not to cooperate formally in practices which, even if permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to God's law. Indeed, from the moral standpoint, it is never licit to cooperate formally in evil. [...] This cooperation can never be justified either by invoking respect for the freedom of others or by appealing to the fact that civil law permits it or requires it' (no. 74).
"3. Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. 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.
"4. Apart from an individuals's judgement about his worthiness to present himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, the minister of Holy Communion may find himself in the situation where he must refuse to distribute Holy Communion to someone, such as in cases of a declared excommunication, a declared interdict, or an obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin (cf. can. 915).
"5. Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person's formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church's teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.
"6. 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' (cf. Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Declaration 'Holy Communion and Divorced, Civilly Remarried Catholics' [2002], nos. 3-4). This decision, properly speaking, is not a sanction or a penalty. Nor is the minister of Holy Communion passing judgement 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."
In paragraph 6, His Holiness used the word "must" -- not "may" -- referring to a matter of duty, not discretion.
"We have been blessed to have a very active and diverse Task Force made up of the bishop chairmen of all of the policy committees and the Doctrine Committee. Our work has been greatly enriched by the participation of Cardinal George, Archbishop Chaput and Archbishop Wuerl. In this our final report, I want to share briefly what we have done and offer some thoughts on the work which remains. The Task Force has been involved in many areas. Let me mention a few very quickly:
"First, we surveyed the bishops on what your policies and practices in this area were and how the task force could be helpful.
"Second, we consulted with leading moral theologians and canonists on what the Church teaches and how Canon Law can guide us.
"Third, we met with representatives of our State Catholic Conferences and Catholic leaders retired from politics to draw on their experience, wisdom and advice.
"Fourth, we contacted other Episcopal Conferences and asked how they deal with similar challenges in their countries.
"Fifth, and perhaps most significantly, we have been in regular contact with the Holy See seeking their advice and guidance. The Holy See has been both sympathetic and supportive of our efforts. After the meeting in Denver, you will recall that then Cardinal Ratzinger wrote us and said that our efforts were 'very much in harmony' with their principles.
"I should add that as recommended by the Task Force, the Committee on Doctrine, with assistance from the Committee on Pastoral Practices, is working on the specific matter of Church teaching on the proper disposition to receive Holy Communion, not only for politicians, but for all of us.
"Most recently, our Task Force has sought to address the other commitments we made in Denver:
"First, we committed to help the bishops teach about Catholics and political life:
"Because there is often misunderstanding or misinterpretation of what the Church teaches in these areas, the Task Force has developed and our Conference has published, with the approval of the Holy See, the first comprehensive book of 'Readings on Catholics and Political Life'. It is being distributed to every Catholic Representative and Senator on Capitol Hill and many bishops are using it as a basis for formation and dialogue at the local level. You will be pleased to know that many Episcopal Conferences of other nations have asked for copies.
"Secondly, we also committed to help the bishops promote dialogue and maintain communication:
"In order to promote principled dialogue and offer some models, the Task Force has met separately with several Democratic and Republican Catholic members of the House and a significant number of Catholic Republican and Democratic Senators at their request. These meetings were candid and respectful exchanges on how Catholic faith and teaching should shape the actions of Catholics in public office. Several of these meetings greatly benefited from the participation of local bishops of the legislators participating who chose to attend.
"As Chairman, I have also had the responsibility to respond to other requests to meet. In each case I listened respectfully to their concerns and used the occasion to remind them of the duty of Catholic political leaders to stand up unequivocally for human life and the dignity of the human person and to work for greater justice and peace. Based on these efforts and drawing on the experiences of many bishops who have been in dialogue with their own Catholic political leaders, we will be offering to the bishops some questions for consideration and some suggestions for your own continuing dialogue at the diocesan and state levels.
In addition, we have heard repeatedly that many Catholic members of Congress are seeking more explicitly Catholic gatherings on Capitol Hill. Therefore, the Task Force recommended that the U.S.CCB host periodic education/formation sessions on Catholic teaching. For example, an initial session is being held next Tuesday for members of Congress on the Holy Father's new encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. Already almost 40 Catholic members of the House and Senate have said they plan to attend.
"Another commitment of the Task Force was to help bishops carry out the policy of not giving awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for actions which fundamentally contradict Catholic teaching.
"In order to advance this effort, the Task Force and the Domestic Policy Committee hosted a consultation with leaders of Catholic health care and Catholic Charities. The Task Force and the Education Committee also held a consultation with a number of presidents of Catholic colleges and universities. We have asked our Committee on Bishops and Presidents to continue this discussion within Catholic higher education. Central to both discussions was the need for clear, timely and regular communication and consultation with the local bishop. We will attempt to offer to bishops some questions for consideration and some possible clarifications in this area as well.
"No Task Force or Washington activity can take the place of vital, principled, candid and respectful relationships between a bishop and Catholic public officials who serve and live in his diocese. I commend many of you, dear brothers, who are reaching out to inform and dialogue, to educate and guide and I hope all of us will follow their example. One crucial and perhaps obvious point in this dialogue with Catholic political leaders is that we are not just another constituent or community leader, we are their pastors and teachers. Our concern is not politics, nor just particular policies, but their faith and even their salvation. These dialogues are not about winning votes, but saving souls.
"Dear brothers, an essential element in all of this is the need to continue to find opportunities to discuss how we as bishops can work together better to teach about public life in ways that reinforce our common efforts. We are in this together. Every bishop has to respond to the call of his own conscience and circumstances. This is a time for respect for our common duties and different pastoral judgments as bishops, but most of all for building our unity as a body of bishops, recognizing how our individual actions affect other bishops and our entire community of faith. Please God, we are all fully committed to proclaiming the Gospel of Life and the call to Faithful Citizenship.
"This current Task Force on Catholic Bishops and Catholic Politicians comes to an end after this report and our last meeting this evening. But, I don't want Archbishop Pilarczyk to get too excited. Our outgoing Task Force has urged the Administrative Committee (and they have agreed) to give our President the authority, as events warrant, to form an ad hoc task force composed of the policy committee chairs, the chair of the Doctrine Committee, and appropriate bishop consulters. This group could continue to serve as a useful link between the Conference and Catholic legislators at the national level. It could also provide assistance to the Conference in responding to new issues regarding Catholics in political life. For example, it could play a useful role in the process for developing and strengthening our statement on Faithful Citizenship.
"At the end of this session, with the President's permission, I would like to offer some very brief concluding reflections, so it's best if I stop here and provide an opportunity for bishops to ask questions or make comments. I first ask if members of the Task Force have any additions or corrections and I ask their assistance in responding to questions.
Closing Remarks Cardinal Theodore McCarrick June 15, 2006
"These days, as I am experiencing a lot of 'last times' and as I prepare to welcome my successor as Archbishop of Washington (and may I add that the appointment of Archbishop Wuerl is truly a wonderful gift from God and our Holy Father), I realize that this will probably be the last time I address the body of bishops as responsible for a Conference entity. In the almost 30 years that I have been a member of the House, this present role has been more challenging than most because it covers new ground when the stakes are high and the answers are not easy. May I end my remarks by sharing a concern and a hope.
"My concern is the fear that the intense polarization and bitter battles of partisan politics may be seeping into broader ecclesial life of our Catholic people and maybe even of our Conference. We are called to teach the truth, to correct errors and to call one another to greater faithfulness. However, there should be no place in the Body of Christ for the brutality of partisan politics, the impugning of motives, or turning differences in pastoral judgment into fundamental disagreements on principle. Civility and mutual respect which we must witness are not signs of weakness or lack of commitment, but solid virtues which reflect confidence and faith.
"We don't fit the partisan categories. We are not chaplains to factions, but rather builders of genuine unity reflecting the truth of our faith and the diversity of our community. People can divide up the work, but they shouldn't divide the Church. We should heed the words of our Holy Father who so powerfully reminds us that 'God is Love' and we must be the signs and agents of His love.
"And finally, a hope. We need more, not fewer Catholics in political life, more 'faithful citizens' fundamentally committed to the defense of human life and working to apply the Church's option for the poor, our teaching on family, our principles on war and peace and our call to welcome the stranger. My hope is that all the discussion and the attention and tension surrounding this topic will lead our community of faith to be more united and more engaged, more effective and more consistent in our defense of human life and dignity, more fully the 'leaven ...the salt of the earth... and the light of the world' which the Lord calls us to be in these crucial days for our Church and our nation.
"God bless you, my dear brothers. Thank you very much."
{My Note: Yes, there should be no place in the Body of Christ for the brutality of partisan politics. But, pretending that everyone's motive is pure is a foolish conceit and treating obedience to canon law as a mere matter of pastoral judgment is preposterous.
Judie Brown, President and co-founder of American Life League, America's largest grassroots pro-life educational organization, exquisitely exposed and excoriated the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for putting "partisan politics" over bedrock principle, for that is what its treatment of withholding Holy Communion in accordance with the mandate of canon law as a mere matter of pastoral judgment really is.
The modest Mrs. Brown:
"Having been frequently described by my fellow pro-lifers as lacking all understanding of political nuances and innuendo, you will pardon me for being overly simplistic in what I am about to tell you. But truth be told, my mind is spinning and my heart is troubled over the recent action of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops regarding reception of Holy Communion by Catholics in the public arena who support abortion.
"For several years we at American Life League have pleaded with our bishops to lead their sheep out of the quagmire that has led to more than 50 percent of Catholics feeling (and perhaps honestly believing) that they can support abortion and abortion-minded public officials and still remain good, upstanding Catholics. When I use the statistic, which is borne out in many surveys, the first thing people say to me is: 'What kind of Catholics are these? Maybe they never go to Mass; maybe they were baptized and never actually practiced their faith; maybe you should check out the numbers.'
"My response is always the same. Regardless of what kind of Catholic we are discussing, the mere fact that any Catholic would think he or she can support the act of murdering a preborn child while still claiming to be a 'good Catholic' should concern us. At the end of the day, it is souls we are working to save, educating to save and praying to save. Every kind of Catholic is a human being worthy of our effort. Every kind of Catholic has the right to hear the truth, to be aware of the truth and to act on it. And since that is the case, aren't all these kinds of Catholics deserving of leadership that inspires, motivates and compels?
"Each of us faces moral choices every day. We are aware that every choice we make can either be a good one or a bad one. Every person has a free will; but if a person is confused about the difference between good and bad or right and wrong because of what they see around them, then who is to blame for the bad choices they make? For example, if Catholics see a pro-abortion senator such as John Kerry or a pro-abortion talk show host such as Chris Matthews receive the body and blood of Christ in Holy Communion, what kind of message are they getting? Could they be thinking, 'It must be OK to support abortion because they are receiving Holy Communion just like me?'
"If the people in the pew are thinking that, scandal is created, and potentially souls are at risk. Now maybe that doesn't bother you, but it deeply troubles me. And that is why the recent news from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops blew me away. Who would have ever guessed that the bishops would come out of their meeting without a unanimous agreement on how to instruct the faithful, and how to enforce Canon 915 of the Catholic Church's Code of Canon Law?
"No, that is not exactly what the news reports said, but that is in fact what the bishops decided. The Code of Canon Law is a voluminous set of laws that govern a wide variety of subjects in the Catholic Church. One of the books of Canon Law is devoted to the sacraments and how they are to be administered. It is in that volume that we find Canon 915, which states:
Those ... who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to communion.
"This applies not only to elected officials but to any Catholic in public life who is using his influence to mislead people by suggesting that there is nothing wrong with abortion and there is nothing wrong with dissenting from Church teaching on abortion. This canon should be the basis upon which each bishop gives instructions to his priests, deacons and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion regarding who in public life will be refused the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist.
"This is the basis for what should have come from the U.S.CCB: a unanimous declaration by the American bishops that each and every one of them will enforce Canon 915 ... period!
"Now let it be clearly understood that before any bishop would hand down such an instruction, he would -- with charity and love -- do everything he could to privately convince the public figure to cease support for the crime of abortion. But should those persistent efforts fail, as Bishop Thomas Olmstead of Phoenix made perfectly clear, 'then I think the priest or deacon should not give them Communion in that case. But we should try to make the efforts beforehand to be in conversation with them.'
"Indeed that is the Christian approach, borne out by scripture. To my mind this is not debatable, nor should it be. St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (11:27-29) makes it perfectly clear: 'Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord... For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.'
"These are the words that should inspire every bishop, every priest, every deacon and every extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. To give the sacrament of Holy Communion to someone is to give Christ Himself who is truly present in the sacrament. And to give Christ to someone who you know is publicly advocating the direct killing of innocent little children in the womb is to create sacrilege. That is a fact. It is a fact known to every single bishop of the Catholic Church.
"The entire reason for the existence of Canon 915 is to protect Christ from sacrilege, and in the process to help those who are obstinately persisting in manifest grave sin to see the error of their ways and hopefully repent.
"As hard as it is for me to believe, I suppose one could say that bishops don't all see it that way, and so a pragmatic decision had to be made that would placate the entire group and create consensus. But if that is the case, then I have to ask what could be so terribly divisive about a united effort to protect Christ from sacrilege? Such unity would surely not be based on political agendas or partisan politics, would it? Such a unified manifestation of respect for Christ in the Eucharist could not possibly be a cause of unrest among the people or negativity among the media, could it?
"Sadly, I think the answer to all three hypothetical questions is yes. The few bishops who have stood up and publicly enunciated a clear teaching on Canon 915 have been the butt of derision both inside and outside the U.S.CCB. In fact, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick's parting shot at the end of the bishops' most recent meeting was to suggest that some of his fellow bishops were delving into 'partisan politics.' And one newspaper in St. Louis, where the heroic Archbishop Raymond Burke leads his flock without apology, described the archbishop as a man whose strategy was 'High Noon at the altar rail.'
"We are indeed living in troubling times. For as one of Archbishop Burke's faithful wrote in a letter to the editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, upon reading the verbal assault on His Excellency, 'I think he educated everyone on the issues including politicians. If people choose to ignore him, did he fail? No, because each individual is responsible for his or her actions. His job is to teach us. Our responsibility is to accept it if we want to be Catholic in a state of grace and ready to receive Our Lord through the Sacrament of Holy Communion.'
"Which makes my point: Archbishop Burke said yes to Christ, yes to his obligation to teach, yes to his flock whose souls mean more to him than anything a newspaper might say in attacking him. Likewise, a handful of other bishops have taken the same stand. Unfortunately, those shepherds are an embarrassingly small minority.
"What about all the rest of the bishops? I guess only time will tell; it just sorrows me that so many souls may be lost forever while so many bishops continue to meet, greet and retreat."
Mrs. Brown is right. Every Catholic bishop in America should enforce Canon 915. Period. And so should every other Catholic bishop.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops should unanimously resolve to do just that.
Michael J. Gaynor is an independent columnist
BIshops have the DUTY to Teach, Rule, and Sanctify. But they prefer to Committee this and Task Force that. It is truly sickening.
These links are various formats of a very stirring, wonderful video/audio via a beloved Believer. I think the comment is apt: If it doesn't move you, call a mortician.
It's smack dab in the middle of the point of this post. I strongly recommend it to all with a broadband:
I think you will appreciate this. The mp4 video is HUGE -- don't pull it down unless you're on a broadband connection. Go with the wmv format or the mp3 audio. Click through to the page of your choice, then right-click on the link there and Save As. If you use Firfox, it might try to save the file as "visit.php". If so, just rename the file appropriately and it will be fine.
You'll need to block out about 45 minutes to absorb this. If it doesn't change you, consult a mortician.
227MB mp4 video file
http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=10726
50MB wmv video file
http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=10734
33MB mp3 audio only
http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=2903
BIshops have the DUTY to Teach, Rule, and Sanctify. But they prefer to Committee this and Task Force that. It is truly sickening.
- - - -
Sadly, the Protestant clusters of folks are similarly plagued.
Thankfully, Holy Spirit is stirring things up in many places.
Thanks for the ping!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.