Ad Campaign Questions Cardinal McCarrick’s ‘Discomfort’ With Denying Communion to Pro-Abort Politici

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – American Life League’s Crusade for the Defense of our Catholic Church launched a new multi-ad campaign that will engage members of the Catholic Church’s hierarchy who have said they will not take steps to ensure that pro-abortion Catholic politicians are barred from receiving Holy Communion. The first ad comes in response to Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s recent disclosure that despite clear indications from the Vatican that pro-abortion Catholic politicians should be denied Communion, he had “not gotten to the stage where I’m comfortable in denying the Eucharist.”“For over 30 years pro-abortion Catholic politicians have not been held to account for voting and promoting the abhorrent act of destroying children in the womb,” said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. “Pope John Paul II has made clear that ‘in cases of outward conduct which is seriously, clearly and steadfastly contrary to the moral norm,’ Catholics should not receive Holy Communion. Why, then, has Cardinal McCarrick declined to follow the pontiff’s teaching in this critical matter? As a member of the Church hierarchy, the cardinal has the duty and obligation to protect the Eucharist from sacrilege. It is not a question of the cardinal feeling ‘comfortable.’ It is a question of doing what is right.”“When a pro-abortion public figure presents himself for Holy Communion, everyone in the Church knows that he is an advocate of a crime against God that should prohibit him from receiving the body and blood of Christ. There is no judgment involved; there is instead a public record that is not hidden, and in fact is often flaunted in the face of the Church, “said Brown.  The national pro-life organization leader concludes, “Cardinal McCarrick’s comments have created confusion. They have also opened the door for other members of the hierarchy to feel at ease by voicing similar views.  It does not take rocket science to figure out that a public figure who is supporting abortion is not in agreement with Church teaching and therefore should not receive Holy Eucharist.”  This full page ad appears in today’s Washington Times https://www.all.org/crusade/comfortable.pdf