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Washington Archbishop Denies Personal Responsibility for Allowing Pro-Abortion Politicians to Receive Communion

Commentary by John-Henry Westen

WASHINGTON, DC, May 6, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a column in his archdiocesan newspaper Wednesday, Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl addressed the subject of "how to respond to those in public office who support abortion legislation", explaining that he does not deny Holy Communion to the pro-abortion Catholic politicians who frequently present themselves for Communion at parishes under his authority.

Wuerl explains his belief that the decision to deny Communion should be a decision left to the offending politician's own hometown bishop, reasoning that by denying a pro-abortion politician Communion while they are in DC, Wuerl would be infringing on the territory of other bishops.  "I have not accepted the suggestions that the Archdiocese of Washington or episcopal conferences have some particular role that supersedes the authority of an individual bishop in his particular Church," he writes.

Wuerl says his stand is based on the 2004 document by the US Bishops Conference which addressed the issue, noting that it is up to individual bishops to decide on the matter in line with canon law.  The Washington prelate notes further that Cardinal Ratzinger approved of the document.

Of note, however, Wuerl never mentions that Ratzinger's letter says specifically that pro-abortion politicians "must" be denied Communion.

Furthermore, of critical importance in the passage from the US Bishops document - 'Catholics in Political Life' - cited by Wuerl is the stipulation that actions should be undertaken by bishops "in accord with the established canonical" principles.  The Catholic Church in its code of canon law sets out in canon 915, "Those upon whom the penalty of excommunication or interdict has been imposed or declared, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to Holy Communion."

Wuerl, however, instead references the line in the USCCB document: "Bishops can legitimately make different judgments on the most prudent course of pastoral action," thereby implying that a bishop is excused from the duty to refuse the Eucharist to publicly pro-abortion Catholic politicians that are not members of his diocese.  

Hence, one interpretation of the USCCB document would see it as natural that Catholic bishops may legitimately make different judgments on the course of action they'd take with the Catholic politicians they find in their dioceses.  However, Wuerl seems to suggest that bishops may take different actions dealing with the same cases, which would preclude criticizing a bishop who would opt not to deny communion even to the likes of John Kerry.

However, the latter interpretation was specifically criticized by St. Louis Archbishop Burke who, in an interview with Catholic writer Barbara Kralis, was asked about that very question.  Asked, "Does this mean that one Bishop can deny Senator John Kerry Holy Communion and another Bishop can give Kerry Communion and both Bishops are correct?," Archbishop Burke replied, "No, in fact, Canon 915 must be applied.  It does not give an option.  Canon 915 says that those persons who obstinately persist in grave manifest sin must be denied the Eucharist.  I strongly believe that if a bishop has spoken to someone who obstinately persists in grave manifest sin and he still presents himself for Holy Communion, he should be refused."

Kralis persisted in questioning, "Can one bishop admit and another bishop not admit? Is this teaching clear? Is it not a contradiction of Canon 915, for one bishop to refuse John Kerry the Eucharist in one diocese and for another bishop to give John Kerry the Eucharist in another diocese?"

Burke answered, "Yes, it would be a source of confusion.  I have refused to talk about individual candidates, but when a 'Catholic' pro-abortion politician knows the actions he has taken are gravely sinful in a public matter like supporting abortion, the only way to uphold church teaching is to withhold Holy Communion. It is not right for one 'minister of Holy Communion' to give the Eucharist and another not to."

See the Archbishop's full column here:
http://www.cathstan.org/main.asp?SectionID=14&SubSectionID=79&ArticleID=...

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