Will Pope Francis fulfill Benedict's legacy on abortion and Communion?

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | 3/20/13 | John-Henry Westen

[BlatherNaut]

One of the little-known legacies of Pope Benedict XVI is his consistent push to have pro-abortion politicians given the opportunity to repent and come back to a right relationship with God by refusing them Holy Communion. Benedict’s public role in the matter began in 2004 prior to his pontificate, while head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope John Paul II.

[Biggirl]

I am very confident that you will see positive change idown the road. Count on it.

[Biggirl]

AMEN!

[Biggirl]

Yet as the saying goes, “what is old id new again.”

[Biggirl]

What is needed are bishops who will enforce the Church rules.

[sitetest]

Dear markomalley,

“Pelosi and Biden were hardly the only pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, pro-euthanasia pols there...”

Is that an argument in favor of the idea that Pope Francis will take a tougher line with pro-abort politicians?

sitetest

[sitetest]

Dear Jim Noble,

“Because its not 1100 AD. Prudence dictates cooperation with the secular powers.”

I’d take the time to disagree with you, but it isn’t actually relevant, here.

The article strongly suggests that Pope Francis will follow through on Pope Benedict XVI’s push to deny pro-abort politicians Holy Communion. Yet, at the very first papal Mass, two prominent pro-abort politicians (and as markomalley points out, probably a whole bunch more than two) were permitted to receive Holy Communion.

Thus, my question, “Then why did Pelosi and Biden receive at the inaugural papal Mass yesterday?” The article is stating that Pope Francis is going to take a tougher line on this, but the evidence so far suggests not.

To me, it looks more like, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”

sitetest

[sitetest]

Dear 353FMG,

“Let’s wait if this couple will be allowed to receive Communion in the US once this new papacy has settled and all groundrules have been established.”

Our approach to viewing the deeds of this papacy should certainly be prudent. At every point, I will look to our Holy Father to start to do the right thing. Perhaps there was some reason for the blasphemy at the papal Mass.

Perhaps he'd ordered that the pro-aborts not be given Holy Communion, and he was disobeyed. In that case, he needs to get better control over his own household.

Perhaps he hadn't had time to think about it, and thus, along with many other details, it slipped his mind. I hope that he will not continue to relegate the matter to a low priority.

Perhaps he thought this isn't the time or the place. With such a judgment, I disagree, but it's his show, and he gets to run it as he sees fit.

Or perhaps, he doesn't believe that generally, it's really such a great idea, after all, in which case, the article is wrong, is raising false hopes among those who would like to see a greater discipline, and should be disregarded. Which is more or less what I implied in my first post.

Time will tell.

But right now, I don't think there's appropriate cause to believe that things are going to change on this topic. I figure he'll do what Benedict XVI did - occasionally say something contrary to actual practice, which will get large numbers of Catholics all excited, but then nothing will be done, nothing will change.

Hope I'm wrong. Not betting the farm on it.

sitetest

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Pope Francis did not distribute Holy Communion.

---

Duh, do you think I don't know that? You know exactly what I meant by my comment. Early signs show a lot of bluff and as usual, no bite.

"Here is what we believe and stand for...unless you disagree, then it's ok anyway, no harm, no downside. Your personal accountability is not necessary, you want to keep pushing abortion and gay marriage? No problem."

So early indications is nothing will change and this church will continue down the slippery slope to Hell as did the Episcopal "church." I want my church to STAND UP for doctrine, not cave to political whims.

[BlatherNaut]

The rule is that you can do pretty much anything and still receive communion. I mean, who's going to stop you?

Maybe no one will stop you. But God is watching.

From The Cure of Ars, St. John Vianney: "I can't stop praying for the poor sinners, who are on the road to hell. If they come to die in that state, they will be lost for all eternity. What a pity!"

[BlatherNaut]

I am very, very hopeful.

I'm trying to remain cautiously optimistic, but with certain American bishops declaring that they refuse to "politicize the Eucharist", we may be in for a long wait.

Ironically, it's Biden and Pelosi who are, in fact, politicizing the Eucharist, by publicly proclaiming themselves Catholic (when in reality, in regard to excommunication, their "sentence is already passed" as a result of their obdurate refusal to follow Church teaching and deliberate actions in support of the "Culture of Death"). How can informing the media that they received Communion at the Papal Mass be characterized as anything less than "politicizing the Eucharist"?

[BlatherNaut]

"“Let’s wait if this couple will be allowed to receive Communion in the US once this new papacy has settled and all groundrules have been established.”

Our approach to viewing the deeds of this papacy should certainly be prudent. At every point, I will look to our Holy Father to start to do the right thing. Perhaps there was some reason for the blasphemy at the papal Mass."

Excellent advice.

[Jim Noble]

I don’t think we disagree.

[markomalley]

“Pelosi and Biden were hardly the only pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, pro-euthanasia pols there...”

Is that an argument in favor of the idea that Pope Francis will take a tougher line with pro-abort politicians?

It is neither an argument that he will or he won't. The point being that the fact that Pelosi and Biden reportedly received Holy Communion at that particular Mass should not be an indicator one way or the other because of the reason I cited.

Official delegations from 132 different countries were present at that Mass. That could be in the neighborhood of 1,000 people who were in that one section alone. How, exactly, would one adequately administer Can 915 in the circumstances? Make each minister of Holy Communion in that section memorize a book of mug shots of public miscreants who should be denied Communion if they present themselves? Considering all those delegates from all those different countries...how many mug shots would they need to memorize? 150? 200? 500? Do they have a list for pro-abortion politicians? Another list for non-Catholic politicians? Yet another for politicians who sponsor death squads? Another for those who have committed genocide against their own people?

In my mind, it would have been far better had they not ministered Communion to anybody seated in the "politicians" section at all. But, if you listen to Biden's press secretary, they did (I have no other proof that he received communion than that).

When I think about the sheer logistics of the situation, I am not scandalized by the prospect that Biden's office's report is true.

I am far more scandalized that either receive the Blessed Sacrament without hassle when either decide to darken the doors of Holy Trinity in Georgetown.

[sitetest]

Dear markomalley,

Extraordinary evil requires extraordinary efforts to resist.

Sadly, I don't think it would have taken extraordinary efforts to keep pro-deathers from Holy Communion.

Politicians could have been “whitelisted.” Any politician who checked out as not having obviously endorsed the culture of death would get a small red rose to wear on his or her outfit, and upon approaching for Holy Communion, could be readily identified. Even with several hundred politicians to check out, it would have taken some low-level lackey less than a day to do the research.

Failing that, a simple explanation that due to the presence of demonic pro-abort politicians in large numbers, politicians would not be welcome to receive the Sacrament.

Pope Francis was very clear upon his election that he is the Bishop of Rome. Let the discipline start there.

If he can't figure out how to do it, maybe he isn't up to the job.

The scandal of the scum receiving at parishes in Georgetown reflects poorly on the whole Church, but most especially on Donna Wuerl. The new pope could have shown Washington's best-dressed cleric a thing or two on how it's done. Leading by example.

I'll be the first to applaud when some of these folks start doing the right thing. And, indeed, occasionally, one of them does. The monster Sebellius’ bishop has told her not to present herself for the Sacrament. Good on him! It's a very, very, tiny start, but it's a start!

But I'm no longer willing to make excuses for the abject failure of the hierarchy. I understand that they may think this time or that time, or this event or that event, or the other time or event, or the one after that, or the one after that, isn't the right one at which to start ceasing to do evil and starting to discipline these demonically-guided wayward Catholics. But I no longer accept that they are in the right to delay further the things that need getting done.

The hierarchy, in failing to discipline the likes of Biden, Pelosi, Mikulski, Giuliani, Casey, Schwarzennegger, Durbin, Leahy, Pataki, Harkin, Kaine, Jerry Brown, Kerry, Menendez,..., are leading millions of laity to Hell.

sitetest

[sitetest]

...O’Mutley (a Gonzaga grad), Anthony Brown (a “proud” Knight of Columbus), Cuomo I, Cuomo II, Landrieu I, Landrieu II, Collins, Murray, Reed, Cantwell, Gillibrand, McCaskill, Kaptur, Cuellar, Neal, Dingell, Frank, Moran, Rangel, DeFazio, Markey, Pallone, Pastor, Sanchez, Velazquez, Bishop, Becerra, Capuano, Connolly, Lujan, McCollum, Murphy, ...

[sitetest]

And then there is Satan’s Special Project: Nearly the entire Kennedy clan.

[markomalley]

If he can't figure out how to do it, maybe he isn't up to the job.

Let us have this conversation in six months to a year. I refuse to condemn him as a failure in his first week on the job.

He may be the pope we need. He may be the pope we deserve. Only God knows at this juncture which is which. One thing for certain, though, he is the pope.

Can. 331 The bishop of the Roman Church, in whom continues the office given by the Lord uniquely to Peter, the first of the Apostles, and to be transmitted to his successors, is the head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ, and the pastor of the universal Church on earth. By virtue of his office he possesses supreme, full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the Church, which he is always able to exercise freely.

And we are the Christian faithful:

Can. 212 §1. Conscious of their own responsibility, the Christian faithful are bound to follow with Christian obedience those things which the sacred pastors, inasmuch as they represent Christ, declare as teachers of the faith or establish as rulers of the Church.

So I don't see too much of an alternative to trusting that the Holy Spirit will work with him (or, at a minimum, keep him from doing permanent damage):

Mat 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.

Mat 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

[sitetest]

Dear markomalley,

“I refuse to condemn him as a failure in his first week on the job.”

I don't condemn him, now or ever. Just not my job. I merely note that so far, he has failed to do what is needed.

I don't dispute his authority, I don't fail to submit to the teachings of Holy Mother Church. But I will no longer pretend that our hierarchs are doing a bang-up job when in truth, they fail to do what is right, and by omission, do what is evil by leading souls to Hell.

This thread promotes the idea that the cavalry has arrived and is going to set all things to right. It pretends that somehow Pope Francis is going to be a great enforcer of discipline, that he will clean up the Augean stables.

Maybe he will, maybe he won't.

But he had a spectacular chance to start off on the right foot, and he muffed it. I hope things will get better. I'm not counting on it.

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

I won't get fooled again.

sitetest

[Salvation]

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[piusv]

Well, it’s been how many days? And Biden has already received at St Patrick’s Cathedral!

Something has got to give here.