Columnist Reflects on Kennedy Funeral, Recalls 2004 Letter from Card. Ratzinger to Card. McCarrick

Catholic WOrld News ^ | 9/9/09

[marshmallow]

Reflecting on the funeral of Senator Edward Kennedy, Terry Mattingly recalls-- and brings to greater public attention-- the 2004 letter from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, to Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, then Archbishop of Washington, on Holy Communion and pro-abortion politicians.

In the summer of 2004, the Vatican sent a letter to the United States addressing one of the hottest issues facing the church here — whether politicians who back abortion rights should receive Holy Communion.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith sent the guidelines to the leader of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. However, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick chose not to share the letter with America’s bishops, which kept its blunt contents secret — until a leak in Italy.

The church teaches that abortion or euthanasia is a grave sin,” warned the letter, adding that there is a “grave and clear obligation to oppose” civil laws and judicial decisions that “authorize or promote” these acts. At the same time, it explained that there “may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not ... with regard to abortion and euthanasia.”

On the central issue, the guidelines said 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.”

Abortion Still an Issue For Catholic Politicians

[marshmallow]

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith sent the guidelines to the leader of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. However, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick chose not to share the letter with America’s bishops, which kept its blunt contents secret — until a leak in Italy

Now why would Ted do that, I wonder?

[Alex Murphy]

On the central issue, the guidelines said 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.”

Sadly, Archbishop Chaput has indicated that it is the responsibility of the communicant to stay away from the Communion Rail. This is not correct. Rather, it is the responsibility of the Minister of the Eucharist to deny Holy Communion. This is a huge difference that goes against the Church's teachings [3] regarding canon 915 as well as recent statements from the Vatican stating that the manifest pro-abortion politicians must be denied, and the burden IS upon the Minister to deny, NOT upon the communicant to stay away.

-- from the thread Will Denver Catholic Archbishop finally enforce Canon 915?

[crymeariver]

I am a Eucharistic Minister and have been told that I am not a Eucharistic policeman and cannot refuse to give the host to anyone. Rather, I am supposed to report the offender to the celebrant priest after mass. Very hard to do and enforce.

[marshmallow]

OK, so apparently we've got two black marks against Chaput.

1) He placed the naked jogging priest on administrative leave only, instead of .....................(fill in the blank).

2) He won't fully enforce Canon 915.

Thanks, Alex.

Any other skullduggery in the Archdiocese of Denver which we should know about?

[marshmallow]

I am a Eucharistic Minister and have been told that I am not a Eucharistic policeman and cannot refuse to give the host to anyone. Rather, I am supposed to report the offender to the celebrant priest after mass. Very hard to do and enforce.

You're right..............to a point.

The missing piece to the puzzle is contained in the Ratzinger letter. It is the responsibility of the pastor to first meet with the miscreant and warn him/her not to approach Communion. If he/she ignores that warning, only then should you deny the sacrament.

To simply deny someone who presents themselves at the altar with a "no Communion for you today" missive, is not advisable.

I think this has been the source of a lot of confusion about this issue.

Thanks again, Ted.

[Savage Beast]

In 1940, a storm washed the automobile, in which Robert Mitchum and a man named Righter were driving to Florida, off a bridge and into the waters of a Louisiana swamp. Mitchum got out. Righter was dazed and trapped in the car that seemed about to slide into deeper water. Mitchum scrambled to safety. Then he struggled back into the water, forced the car door open, pulled Righter out, and saved his life.

When the obviously grateful Righter exclaimed that Mitchum had risked his life to save Righter, Mitchum shrugged off his heroic behavior with an off-handed quip, characteristic of him, obviously considering his actions to be nothing more than any decent person would do--and rightly so.

For a better account of this incident, see:

-Lee Server-
Robert Mitchum
"Baby, I Don't Care"
New York: St. Martin's Press, March 2001, p. 49

[Alex Murphy]

To simply deny someone who presents themselves at the altar with a "no Communion for you today" missive, is not advisable.

"NO COMMUNION FOR YOU!"

[marshmallow]

Seinfeld was exactly what I was thinking when I wrote that........