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Minneapolis Archbishop Claims Vatican Okay with Communion for Homosexual Activists

ROME, December 15, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Archbishop Harry J. Flynn of Minneapolis-St. Paul, after speaking with a top Vatican official, has claimed that the Vatican has not asked him to change his policy of allowing communion to be given to homosexual activists wearing rainbow sashes to demonstrate their stand. The Catholic News Service (CNS) reports that Archbishop Flynn said he met privately in early December with Cardinal Francis Arinze, head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

Archbishop Flynn discussed his interview with Cardinal Arinze with CNS saying: "I got the clear understanding that this is recognized as a very complex pastoral issue which must constantly be looked at in all its ramifications. It needs to be handled prayerfully and reflectively. There was encouragement to keep on teaching and also to be aware of the forces everywhere, including in the United States, that are against the long tradition of the teaching of the church," he said.

CNS reports further that "Archbishop Flynn said it was recognized that U.S. bishops have come to different conclusions about how to respond to Rainbow Sash members who present themselves for Communion, but he said he got no sense that the Vatican was pushing for a single policy on this."

Vatican watchers can be very suspicious of Archbishop Flynn's claims since Cardinal Arinze has in the past been forthright about the need to protect Holy Communion from abuse, even if that means denying communion to parishioners who are unfit to receive the sacrament.

The recent debate over communion for pro-abortion politicians bears a similarity to the debate over the rainbow sash communion controversy. Both involve persons presenting themselves for communion who are publicly known to be in support of what the church proclaims is grave sin - in the case of the politician, abortion; and in the case of the rainbow sash wearer, homosexuality.

Speaking on the pro-abortion politician controversy in April, Cardinal Arinze said such a politician "is not fit" to receive Communion. "If they should not receive, then they should not be given," he added. Furthermore, top Vatican Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote Washington Cardinal McCarrick on the issue in June. In his letter, the head of the Vatican's doctrinal Congregation, wrote that "when a person's formal cooperation" in grave sin "becomes manifest", and the person despite warnings from the church "still presents himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, 'the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it'."

Of note, even though Cardinal McCarrick said he was "uncomfortable" in denying communion and went as far as to suggest bishops not deny communion to pro-abortion politicians saying: "We should have no confrontation at the altar," even he did not grant Rainbow Sash members communion in his diocese as did Archbishop Flynn. Cardinal McCarrick has let stand a policy in his diocese of denying Communion to Rainbow Sash Members which was instituted by his predecessor Cardinal James Hickey.

Chicago Cardinal Francis George issued a directive to his priests in May instructing them not to offer Communion to Rainbow Sash members. The Cardinal said the Church teaches that "genital homosexual relations are objectively morally sinful" and that Rainbow Sash members "give witness to their opposition to the Church and her teaching as they come to Communion."

See the CNS coverage:
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0406824.htm

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