Don't know what that means, but it is concerning.
Posted on 02/25/2019 12:06:03 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o
Pro-life Catholics who wish Catholic Church leaders would step up and deny communion to leading politicians who support abortion are getting good news today.
One Catholic bishop is denying communion to pro-abortion Democrat Dick Durbin, a top Democrat in the Senate who has long supported and promoted abortion. Durbin joined other Democrats to block a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks.
Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois says Durbin is “cooperating in evil” and persisting in “manifest grave sin” because of his abortion advocacy and must therefore “not be admitted to Holy Communion until he repents of his sin.”
In a statement on the Diocese of Springfield website, Bishop Paprocki said, “Fourteen Catholic senators voted against the bill that would have prohibited abortions starting at 20 weeks after fertilization, including Sen. Richard Durbin, whose residence is in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.”
The full statement reads:
I agree completely with His Eminence, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, who called the U.S. Senate’s failure to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act “appalling.”
Fourteen Catholic senators voted against the bill that would have prohibited abortions starting at 20 weeks after fertilization, including Sen. Richard Durbin, whose residence is in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. In April 2004, Sen. Durbin’s pastor, then Msgr. Kevin Vann (now Bishop Kevin Vann of Orange, CA), said that he would be reticent to give Sen. Durbin Holy Communion because his pro-abortion position put him outside of communion or unity with the Church’s teachings on life. My predecessor, now Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha, said that he would support that decision. I have continued that position.
Canon 915 of the Catholic Church’s Code of Canon Law states that those “who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.” In our 2004 Statement on Catholics in Political Life, the USCCB said, “Failing to protect the lives of innocent and defenseless members of the human race is to sin against justice. Those who formulate law therefore have an obligation in conscience to work toward correcting morally defective laws, lest they be guilty of cooperating in evil and in sinning against the common good.” Because his voting record in support of abortion over many years constitutes “obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin,” the determination continues that Sen. Durbin is not to be admitted to Holy Communion until he repents of this sin. This provision is intended not to punish, but to bring about a change of heart. Sen. Durbin was once pro-life. I sincerely pray that he will repent and return to being pro-life.
A 2013 letter from Pope Francis says pro-abortion politicians should not be eligible for communion in the Catholic Church.
In the letter, Pope Francis directed the Argentinean bishops to govern the Church there following the Aparecida Document.
The text states, in part, “[people] cannot receive Holy Communion and at the same time act with deeds or words against the commandments, particularly when abortion, euthanasia, and other grave crimes against life and family are encouraged. This responsibility weighs particularly over legislators, heads of governments, and health professionals.”
“These are the guidelines we need for this time in history,” the pope wrote to the bishops.
Andrew the Apostate has already been told not to present himself for communion, due to his public live-in relationship with his girlfriend.
I'll bet Salvation can answer this one.
Unfortunately I agree with you.
To someone like Durbin, it is just a cracker and a drink. He would be better served going to a Starbucks.
An old priest once told me that sins of the flesh can be forgiven, but sins of the faith cannot.
I don’t know what is in this man’s heart, but can only imagine that his public acts reflect the content of his soul. May God have mercy on him when he passes.
And, likewise, Joe Biden?
The bottom of their shoes?
Or did you mean soul?
This SHOULD negate the excuse they use that while they are "personally against abortion", they must govern in a way that does not inflict their personal morality upon others - a quite lame reason. Will it make a difference? Who knows, but it ought to be a message for those who claim to be Catholics in order to gain votes from that constituency while doing everything to disavow the way of life that cannot condone evil.
agree with both of you - 99% sure he rejects the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist anyway. If he really did believe in the real presence, he would not hold the beliefs he does.
Good for this man. Every Christian regardless of denomination should be pulling for our Catholic brethren to regain control of their Church from the hands of people who clearly do not bear it Goodwill.
I don’t care. It’s a step in the right direction!
Well, consider:
Durbin went over to the nearby Chicago diocese where he was assured by Cupich of being free to receive Communion anytime in one of his parishes. Then the two of them ganged up with the pro-abortion president of Notre Dame to have an event that put Durbin in a good light.
But my sense is that such boldness among clergy with responsibility is not a commonplace event.
2. It could not be otherwise. Only your own (”home”) bishop has authority over you.
Btw, this is why it’s useless for people to write letters to bishops other than their own, just shows them as fools, nor does bishop have any obligation to reply. So if you hate Cardinal Wuerl, don’t write him, write to your own bishop with your concern. That’s proper way.
I’d suggest that the Archbishop of Washington has authority over Catholic (or “Catholic”) politicians in Congress, as well as the bishops of their respective home dioceses. The Archbishop of Washington is The Egregious Wuerl; not much help coming from that corner.
About time.
Don't know what that means, but it is concerning.
It may be a year old article but the question should be, “Did the bishop follow through on it?”. Does Durbin & Co. still attend Mass and partake of communion or was it an idle threat?
That’s what I am thinking.
I don't know Durbin's comings and goings, but I do have one impression. [Pause to take requisite grain of salt the size of a beach ball.) My impression is that these dirty birds do NOT go to Mass, except for photo-op functions. Marriages and funerals, a Papal visit,some fete with photographers. On these occasions, they put themselves right up front, and approach for Communion at just the time when nobody wants to cause a fuss at the altar.
It happened(not with a politician, but with activists) a couple of years ago in DC. It was covered in FR, so you may remember this. A parishioner died in some DC-area parish, and the woman's daughter, a lesbians, shows up for the funeral with her girlfriend/wife/whatever.
The lesbian daughter goes right into thesacristy when the priest is vesting. The priest is not the regular pastor but a visiting priest from Poland. He does not know this woman. She introduces herself and her p-p-partner and says they will eb receiving Communion. It is like, two minutes before the Funeral Mass is going to start.
So this priest, who feels he ought to be saying :I am so sorry for the loss of your dear mother, we are all praying..." is forced into the position of saying, "I'm sorry, but no, you're not.") Communion time comes, and there's Mrs-and-Mrs right in front of course. The priest, quietly, not a word, declines to give them the Sacrament, so they side-step over to one of the other Eucharst ministers, who did not catch what was going on, and receive.
Then Mrs-and-Mrs go straight to the Media with their sobs of horrible priest, heartless, homophobia, and it's all over the TV and the Washington Post.
Then the Archbishop (I believe it was Wuerl) cans the priest and sends him back to Poland!
Subsequently turns out the girlfriend is a Buddhist. The sugar-sprinkles on the cake.
That's how it works, boatbums.
These (I can't think of an adequate adjective) these sad people will exploit any sacred person,place or thing (her mother's funeral! the Blessed Sacrament!) to make their damned political point. And i it's a squish bishop, they get the priest sent to Lower Slobbovia.
From what I understand Wuerl is the major reason why this is generally NOT done. It seems he had been hanging around D.C. too long and fell into the swamp.
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