“No, I have never denied the Eucharist to anyone, to anyone!”
-Pope Francis, Sept. 15, 2021
An extraordinarily contentious election season has been unleashed on the heels of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. That action has already triggered huge demonstrations across the country. Worse – the threat on one justice’s life is a regrettable preview of what may lay ahead over the summer. Emotions are running high. We will likely witness demonstrations not seen in this country since the protests against the Vietnam War.
Political and religious leaders on both sides of the abortion debate have an obligation to temper the passions of advocates, implore them to respect the rule of law and protest peacefully and to refrain from demonizing those with whom they disagree.
One Catholic leader is utterly failing in this regard.
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco recently declared that Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “would not be permitted to receive communion in his archdiocese because of her support for abortion rights.”
He made the pronouncement on Twitter. The actions of Cordileone are more deplorable than misguided. That was a political act, done in defiance of both Vatican guidance and the deliberations of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). It has no place in a pluralistic democracy in which is enshrined – however vaguely or theoretically – the principle of separation of church and state.
Archbishop Cordileone publicly casts judgment on Pelosi. That is outrageous.
Sin, forgiveness and redemption are deeply private and religious matters, not public and political ones. Cordileone stated that he attempted to speak with Pelosi “to help her understand the grave evil she is perpetrating.” Fine. Such discussions would fall within the duties, bounds, and confidentiality of pastoral care. When Pelosi was unresponsive to his appeals, he should have prayed for her.
Last fall the USCCB released a paper, The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church. On the eve of its release, the Catholic News Service published an article entitled – get this – “Draft statement stresses Eucharist’s importance, not a need to deny it.”
Here’s an excerpt:
“When the statement was first proposed … some bishops said a strong rebuke of [President Joe Biden] should be included in it because of Biden’s recent actions protecting and expanding abortion access, while others warned that this would portray the bishops as a partisan force during a time of bitter political divisions across the country. Cordileone is not only ignoring the findings of the USCCB, he is also defying the specific guidance of Pope Francis.”
During the turbulent 2020 presidential campaign, a South Carolina priest announced he would not allow then-candidate Biden to take communion in his church due to Biden’s views on abortion. According to The National Catholic Reporter, last fall in the midst of a Biden abortion-Eucharist-dustup, the Pope warned bishops and priests from wading into politics. “Be a shepherd and do not go around condemning or not condemning,” the Pope said. When asked whether he has ever denied the Eucharist to someone who presented themselves for Communion, the Pope replied, “No, I have never denied the Eucharist to anyone, to anyone!”
The Vatican responded swiftly to Cordileone’s breach of pastoral practices by appointing Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego to cardinal. As reported in the Jesuit publication America Magazine on May 29, “By choosing [McElroy]to be a cardinal … Pope Francis is sending a powerful message to the American bishops and church.”
Observers see this appointment as a clear rebuke to Cordileone and the 18 American bishops who support Cordileone’s action.
Interestingly, Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., is not among the 18. Gregory, who in the past expressed his opposition to prohibiting Catholic politicians from the Eucharist because of their political positions – to include those on abortion – issued a recent statement that his position has not changed. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York holds a similar view. In an interview last fall on “Fox & Friends,” Dolan said that he would not deny anyone reception of the Eucharist.
The duty of priests, bishops and cardinals is to teach us about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and certainly not to wade into politics and tell us how to vote. It is up to us Catholics to apply those teachings in our daily lives, including in political activities and in the voting booth as we weigh thorny issues: abortion, sex education, capital punishment, gay minority rights, criminal justice, immigration, energy and the environment.
Should Catholic leaders feel compelled to get involved in political issues, they ought to avoid gratuitous grandstanding and instead organize parish and diocese discussion groups to examine candidates and their positions on all issues that concern Catholic voters.
The author, a retired Army infantry officer, is a Catholic and a graduate of Fordham University.
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