(LifeSiteNews) — On this episode of Faith and Reason, John-Henry Westen, Father Charles Murr, and Frank Wright discuss Trump’s powerful message commemorating Holy Week, Mark Carney receiving Communion during Mass despite the priest warning the congregation in his homily that support for abortion is a mortal sin, the head of the Canadian bishops suggesting pro-abortion politicians like Mark Carney could be denied the Holy Eucharist to avoid scandal, Pierre Poilievre boasting about his unwavering support for abortion-on-demand, Netflix omitting an Old Testament prophecy about Christ in its version of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, and more.
The panel opened the episode by discussing President Trump’s Holy Week message, which emphasized the events of Holy Week, including Our Lord’s Passion and Death on the Cross and His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Westen read part of that message:
“Beginning with Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and culminating in the Paschal Triduum, which begins on Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, followed by Good Friday, and reaching its pinnacle in the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night.”
READ: President Trump publishes powerful Holy Week message
The host noted that the president’s message is very scriptural and Catholic, stressing that it’s great to hear the president recalling these events.
“I always think that when a president, when a leader of a nation says such a beautiful thing about the faith of the nation, the original faith of the nation, the Christian faith, the one true faith, it’s a beautiful and inspiring thing. Regardless of what else he does,” he said.
Murr agreed and underscored how he was impressed by the theology of the message.
“I was impressed by the theology therein. It’s beautiful theology, and it’s not simply Christian in a general sense [but] it’s very Catholic in a specific sense,” the priest said.
Murr added that the message is also further proof that Trump is not a typical politician, as a politician would never sign off on such a Christ-centered message.
Later in the episode, the panel turned to news from Canada, where the head of the country’s Catholic bishops, Bishop William McGrattan, declared during an EWTN interview that pro-abortion politicians should not be given Holy Communion. Just a week earlier, Prime Minister Mark Carney received the Eucharist during Mass despite the priest delivering a fiery homily reminding the faithful in attendance that abortion and euthanasia are murder and warned them that if they support these evils, they can not receive Communion without first going to confession.
READ: Head of Canadian bishops supports denying Communion to pro-abortion politicians like Mark Carney
During the interview, Bishop McGrattan was asked if Canadian bishops should deny Carney and other pro-abortion politicians the Eucharist.
“If [the local church] is in a very challenging, scandalous position, I think then that is the responsibility of the bishop in a pastoral way to confront and to challenge various politicians in that way,” the bishop answered.
Westen emphasized that since Canada is in the middle of election season, a bishop making such a statement is nothing short of a miracle, to which Murr agreed.
The host also highlighted that since the conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, is also a pro-abortion Catholic, the bishops wouldn’t even appear to be taking sides in the race.
“The bishops don’t have to be political at all, because they could advocate for the denying of Holy Communion to both the Conservative leader and the Liberal leader,” he said. “And all true Catholics would be very happy because they care enough about Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre to hope that they can be called back to the truth.”
For more discussion on the head of the Canadian bishops’ support for denying pro-abortion politicians Communion, Trump’s stunning Holy Week message, and much more, tune in to this episode of Faith and Reason.
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