A Call to Deny Communion to Cuomo

The New York Times ^ | 2/22/11 | Thomas Kaplan

[marshmallow]

ALBANY — A consultant to the Vatican’s highest court is calling for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to be denied holy communion because he lives with his girlfriend without being married to her.

Edward N. Peters, a professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, who last year was named by Pope Benedict XVI as a consultant to the Vatican court, the Apostolic Signatura, called the governor’s living situation “public concubinage” in his blog on Jan. 4, and said in a recent interview that Mr. Cuomo, who is Roman Catholic, must refrain from taking communion under canon law.

“The governor, with complete freedom, is publicly acting in violation of a fundamental moral expectation of the church,” Dr. Peters wrote in response to written questions from Cybercast News Service, a conservative Web site, which published his remarks Monday.

“His taking holy communion,” Dr. Peters wrote, “is objectively sacrilegious.”

“If he approaches for holy communion,” he added, “he should be denied the august sacrament.”

Mr. Cuomo’s marriage to Kerry Kennedy ended in a bitter, highly public divorce in 2003. When he is not staying at the Executive Mansion in Albany, Mr. Cuomo lives with Sandra Lee, a Food Network celebrity, at her home in Westchester County.

A spokesman for Mr. Cuomo, Josh Vlasto, declined to comment.

In his written responses, Dr. Peters also criticized Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, who presided over the Mass that Mr. Cuomo attended with Ms. Lee and his three daughters on Jan. 2.

A spokesman for Bishop Hubbard could not be reached for comment.

[Dr. Sivana]

Presumption
Despair
Resisting the known truth
Envy of another’s spiritual good
Obstinacy in sin
Final impenitence

[topcat54]

“If he approaches for holy communion,” he added, “he should be denied the august sacrament.”

Ain’t gonna happen.

[topcat54]

Cuomo should have no trouble getting an annulment,

AKA Roman Catholic divorce.

but he shouldn’t be receiving as long as he’s living in open adultery.

And then the adultery charge just gets forgotten. Nice gig.

[shurwouldluv_a_smallergov]

Good question and reply.

There is a difference between committing a sin, which we all do, and living in sin. When one commits a sin, one repents- is sorry, makes restitution if possible, and resolves not to do it again.

When one lives in sin, it is more of a continual act of the will; one is generally not very sorry and has no intention of stopping.

In the Gospel story of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus declined to condemn, though He also said “go and sin no more”. That resolve to stop is important; even though one may continually fall, one must continually get up, and not give up.

[Jvette]

Under that list, wouldn’t Cuomo be committing all of them except despair and envy?

He resists the knowing that his conduct is sinful and scandalous.

He presumes that he is in good standing and may receive.

He is obstinate in his sin.

He has shown no repentance for his sin.

[Dr. Sivana]

I believe final impenitence only refers to those who are dying.

Presumption has more to do with the idea that God will let you into Heaven no matter what.

The others have to do with the internal state of his mind, so he’ll get his answer at Final Judgment. From here, it doesn’t look good.

[Jvette]

I agree.

I attended Mass for nearly 8 years without receiving communion because I was not married in the church.

I could have gone to a different parish and received as no one would have known me or the fact that I was prevented from receiving because of the state of my marriage.

I have no problem with Cuomo thinking he is somehow exempt, though I can’t imagine under what terms he claims that exemption, but the fact that the hierarchy, whose job it is to protect and proclaim the faith and admonish sinners abdicate that part of their job, really irks me.

The bishop should be called to task, and Cuomo should be denied.

[Campion]

Assuming he then marries his girlfriend (rather than shacking up with her), how is that different from what goes on in almost every Protestant congregation all the time? How many people in your church are divorced and remarried?

[Campion]

It's potentially a sin of calumny to refer to Hubbard's "boyfriend," unless you have solid evidence to indicate such a person exists (and then it might be merely a sin of detraction).

Hubbard is a terrible bishop; the damage he's done to the Catholic Church in Albany will take decades to repair. That ought to be enough of an indictment.

[topcat54]

Assuming he then marries his girlfriend (rather than shacking up with her), how is that different from what goes on in almost every Protestant congregation all the time? How many people in your church are divorced and remarried?

Given the present laissez faire situation, what incentive does he have for marrying her?

I didn’t realize that Protestantism was your standard for practice. You gonna start practicing birth control next?

[Mrs. Don-o]

This is not a punitive measure; it's what the Church calls a curative or "medicinal" measure. Cuomo is being singled out because of the open, public, grave, manifest nature of the offense. He could be joined by many more --- but the emphasis is on "manifest": the scandal aspect, using that word the way the Church uses it: something that openly and publicly defies the objective moral law and leads others into moral danger.

As long as Cuomo is allowed to abuse the Sacrament, he is multiplying his own sins, to his own serious harm; the Sacrament is dragged through the mud; and the faithful are given to understand that it's "no big deal".

So for Cuomo's own spiritual well-being; for the honor of Christ in His Sacraments; and for the protection of the faithful, this must be stopped.

It's a medicinal measure. If Cuomo's bishop had any love in his heart for him at all, he would have stopped him years and years ago. We must pray for his repentance, and our own.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I think the Church has been corrupted mainly by non-enforcement (like the good and just laws of this country ---and the Constitution! --- are corrupted by non-enforcement.)

For the record, the RC Church is plainly and firmly, explicitly, sometimes excruciatingly, and quite admirably clear on what is a sin and what isn't. My parish has classes running all the time --- for instance, I'm on the RCIA teaching team for adults preparing for Baptism and Confirmation --- and man I'm telling you, I make sure they "get it".

That being said, Ed Peters (the canon lawyer quoted above) is well aware of the uneven quality of teaching and discipline in the USA's nearly-19,000 Catholic parishes. He, working with Abp Raymond Burke, is making a start --- a start --- in getting a swifter, sharper, better enforcement of Canon Law in the United States.

We can all criticize slackers. But I hope fellow FReepers won't knock the stand-up guys like Peters and Burke guys who are manning up and --- bless them! finally!--- doing the Right Thing.

[marshmallow]

I have no solid evidence.

All I have are old news reports of fallout from the Minkler affair which allege that Hubbard was the leader and protector of a ring of active homosexuals in Albany and also claims made by Stephen Brady of Roman Catholic Fatihful and James Likoudis of The Wanderer that Hubbard had...."sex in the 1970s with one man who later killed himself and another who was a teenage prostitute in Washington Park.".

Over the years, there have been various other reports, also.

I believe him to be a card-carrying member of the lavender mafia but that's just my personal 0.02.

[armydoc]

What sort of "respect" would you show to the Apostle Judas if, by some strange circumstance, you were to meet him in the street? Called and chosen by Christ, yes,........but a betrayer. Please advise.

I would probably echo Christ's words: "It would have been better had you never been born".

You are missing the point. You, as a Catholic, owe your hierarchy reverence. CCC 1554:

"The divinely instituted ecclesiastical ministry is exercised in different degrees by those who even from ancient times have been called bishops, priests, and deacons." Catholic doctrine, expressed in the liturgy, the Magisterium, and the constant practice of the Church, recognizes that there are two degrees of ministerial participation in the priesthood of Christ: the episcopacy and the presbyterate . The diaconate is intended to help and serve them. For this reason the term sacerdos in current usage denotes bishops and priests but not deacons. Yet Catholic doctrine teaches that the degrees of priestly participation (episcopate and presbyterate) and the degree of service (diaconate) are all three conferred by a sacramental act called "ordination," that is, by the sacrament of Holy Orders: Let everyone revere the deacons as Jesus Christ, the bishop as the image of the Father, and the presbyters as the senate of God and the assembly of the apostles. For without them one cannot speak of the Church.

You could argue what "reverence" entails, but at a minimum I would think that it means that any differences you have with the bishop would be handled 1) privately with the bishop himself and/or his superiors utilizing established mechanisms within your church, and 2) without resorting to contemptuous, slanderous speech. Your post, on a public forum, violates both. You are only hurting your church. As a protestant, I say "rock on"! How about a steamy word picture of what you envision Hubbard doing with his "boyfriend" in the cupboard? Hey, he deserves it, right? You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

[marshmallow]

You could argue what "reverence" entails, but at a minimum I would think that it means that any differences you have with the bishop would be handled 1) privately with the bishop himself and/or his superiors utilizing established mechanisms within your church, and 2) without resorting to contemptuous, slanderous speech. Your post, on a public forum, violates both. You are only hurting your church.

Preach it, padre. I have no intention of arguing what "reverence" entails. Guilty as charged. I was totally irreverent..

It's true. I have nothing but contempt for the way bishops like Hubbard have abused the episcopal office. After close to half a century of watching Hubbard and his fellow travelers dismantle the Church, preach heresy, allow homosexual molesters free reign to prey on young men and children, close parishes and sell churches, this tired old sinner is finding "reverence" a little hard to come by. I also find the occasional venting exercise to be altogether therapeutic.

If you, or any man, has the strength of character to watch something you love trashed and destroyed in front of you while all the time managing to say nothing harsh nor insulting about those responsible, then you're a much better man than I, Doc.

As a protestant, I say "rock on"! How about a steamy word picture of what you envision Hubbard doing with his "boyfriend" in the cupboard? Hey, he deserves it, right? You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

Yes, we're not all saints yet and I'm further than most. Having led a life of riotous self-indulgence, words of contempt for a bishop are probably among the least of my worries, but thanks for your concern. The Church will survive marshmallow.

Your condescending words of reproof notwithstanding, I generally intend to carry on in the same vein, which will probably mean that from time to time, I'll say something harsh about lavender episcopal flamers like Hubbard.

Ooops......I just did it again, didn't I??!!!

Oh dear......