WASHINGTON, June 8, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — Cardinals Blase Cupich, Wilton Gregory, Sean O’Malley and Joseph Tobin are among the 68 bishops who don’t want the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to discuss prohibiting pro-abortion self-identified Catholics in public life from receiving Holy Communion.
“Eucharistic coherence,” as the bishops call it, is theological shorthand for what is lost when famous people who identify as Catholics but persist in open scandal, for example, by promoting abortion, receive Holy Communion. This unhappy feature of American Catholic life became even more troubling when Joe Biden became President and immediately began working to facilitate abortion and to promote transgenderism.
Today, Catholic news website The Pillar published the list of the bishops who signed a May 13 letter asking USCCB president Archbishop Jose Gomez to drop the issue from the annual meeting, which will be taking place online this June (FULL LIST BELOW). The Pillar obtained a copy of the letter.
The letter reveals that these 68 American cardinals and bishops want to delay any discussion of “Eucharistic worthiness.”
“(W)e respectfully urge that all Conference wide discussion and committee work on the topic of Eucharistic worthiness and other issues raised by the Holy See be postponed until the full body of bishops is able to meet in person,” they wrote. “The serious nature of these issues — especially the imperative to forge substantial unity — makes it impossible to address them productively in the fractured and isolated setting of a distance meeting.”
Shockingly, the letter suggests that both a “high standard of consensus” among the American bishops and of “maintaining unity with the Holy See and the Universal Church” is “far from being achieved at this present moment.”
The Pillar stated that Cardinals Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., and Blase Cupich of Chicago are “reportedly among the letter’s principal authors.” All their auxiliary bishops — seven for Chicago and two in Washington, D.C. — have also signed the letter. A representative sample of ordinaries who signed include Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski of St. Louis, Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego, and Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York was originally a signatory of the letter, but a spokesman for the Archdiocese told The Pillar that the cardinal had eventually asked that his signature be withdrawn.
Cardinal Cupich’s opposition to denying Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians is well-known. He recently sent a letter to Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver critiquing an article the latter wrote about Eucharistic coherence. Cupich also criticized the USCCB president’s statement, issued immediately after Biden was inaugurated as the President of the United States. That statement pointed out that Biden “has pledged to pursue certain policies that would advance moral evils and threaten human life and dignity, most seriously in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage, and gender.”
According to The Pillar, the letter pertains to a vote that the members of the USCCB are expected to take during their June meeting about drafting an official document about “Eucharistic coherence.” It is not related to approving a document already written, or drafting one during the meeting.
The online magazine, led by former Catholic News Agency veterans Ed Condon and J.D. Flynn, noted that some are saying that this is an attempt by the signatories to ensure a “full and open” discussion, whereas others think these bishops are stalling for time.
“If the bishops do not vote this month that a document should be drafted, any eventual document is unlikely to be released before late 2022 or early 2023, and only then if a motion to draft a text comes up at a future meeting — most likely in November — for a vote,” The Pillar reported.
PETITION UPDATE (3/7/22) -
To his eternal shame, self-professed "Catholic" Joe Biden has done it again.
In the last 10 days, Biden directly acted to promote the evil of abortion. Twice.
And, to their shame, the bishops of the United States continue to tolerate this ongoing scandal as though it's business as usual.
But, let's not give up on our shepherds!
Please SIGN this petition and let's CONTACT our bishops again, and ask them to do the right thing (or, do something!), and excommunicate Joe Biden.
In the latest episode of this ongoing tragedy, Biden nominated abortion-friendly (and, Planned Parenthood supported) Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court.
Then, as if to underline his Supreme Court pick, Biden made the following statement promoting abortion during his State of the Union address:
"The constitutional right affirmed by Roe v. Wade — standing precedent for half a century — is under attack as never before. If you want to go forward — not backwards — we must protect access to health care. Preserve a woman’s right to choose..."
Of course, we know that making a decision to exclude public figures from Holy Communion is not easy. But, sometimes, this is the only way to make them understand the error of their ways, and to preserve the Church from serious scandal.
And now that Biden has left no doubt as to his intentions and actions - attempting to anchor the United States to the evil of abortion for generations to come - it is high time for the bishops to act to stop this grave scandal from continuing.
Public excommunication would be a suitable response for Biden's obstinate, public and grave sin of scandalously promoting abortion.
Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this important petition. Thank you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Biden announces Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace Stephen Breyer on Supreme Court' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/biden-announces-ketanji-brown-jackson-to-replace-stephen-breyer-on-supreme-court/
'Pro-life groups warn about Biden’s Supreme Court nominee' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pro-life-groups-warn-about-bidens-supreme-court-nominee/
'These Republicans could help Biden install his far-left Supreme Court pick' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/these-republicans-could-help-biden-his-left-wing-supreme-court-pick/
'Biden reiterates support for Roe v. Wade, radical LGBT policies during State of the Union' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/biden-again-vows-supports-for-roe-v-wade-radical-pro-lgbt-law/
'Biden says he won’t debate ‘theology’ when asked on Ash Wednesday why he supports abortion' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/biden-says-he-wont-debate-theology-when-asked-on-ash-wednesday-why-he-supports-abortion/
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PETITION UPDATE (9/3/21) -
Following the US Supreme Court's decision to allow Texas' Heartbeat Law to go into effect, Joe Biden made the announcement that he would initiate a "whole-of-government" response against the new pro-life statute which could ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected.
This is yet another, outright confirmation of Biden's openly pro-abortion policies, policies which have the main objective of ensuring that women will continue to be able to kill their own children without impediment.
This anti-life, anti-Catholic stance needs to be urgently addressed and condemned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
For the good of the Church, for the good of pre-born babies, for the good of the faithful, and, indeed, for his own good, Joe Biden needs to be publicly rebuked by the bishops and excommunicated until such time as he repents from his pro-abortion policies.
Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this petition, which asks the bishops of the United States to act in unison to exclude Joe Biden from Holy Communion for his scandalous promotion of abortion - the murder of the innocent.
After signing, please take a moment to CONTACT the offices of the USCCB to politely, but firmly, encourage the Conference to take the necessary steps to exclude from Holy Communion public officials who continue to show blatant disregard for innocent human life and the Church's teaching.
The USCCB's Office phone number is: 202.541.3000
Thank you!
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"No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." - Matthew 6:24
In the lead-up to their meeting in mid-June, we call on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to exclude Joe Biden and other “Catholic” politicians (like, Nancy Pelosi) from Holy Communion over their public, obstinate, and scandalous promotion of abortion.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition which asks the USCCB to act to stop the abuse of the reception of the Holy Eucharist by politicians who promote the murder of innocent pre-born babies.
We know that making a decision to exclude public figures from Holy Communion is not easy. But, sometimes, this is the only way to make them understand the error of their ways, and to preserve the Church from serious scandal.
Indeed, Canon Law (Canon 915) declares that those who persist in manifest, grave sin should not be admitted to Holy Communion.
Beyond that, at this point, public excommunication appears as the only suitable response for Biden's obstinate, public and grave sin of promoting abortion.
In doing so, we do not hold ourselves up as judges over Joe Biden's eternal soul, but we encourage the bishops to make known one of the consequences of public and obstinate support of abortion by our 'Catholic' politicians.
The fact is, in terms of the manifest, grave sin of abortion, Joe Biden is as bad as he said he would be before the election.
Therefore, it is cold comfort that the USCCB is only preparing to discuss this issue only now.
But even now, if the USCCB publicly excommunicate Biden for his pro-abortion stance (as well as other pro-abortion politicians), the Conference could reclaim some of the moral authority which they lost by their largely silent assent to Biden's candidacy.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition, now.
Since Joe Biden was sworn-in on the 20th of January, he has wasted no time in signing orders and bills which facilitate the destruction of unborn human life.
- In one executive order, Biden rescinded the Mexico City Policy prohibiting the federal government from spending taxpayer monies on abortion and the promotion of abortion.
- Biden also signed (instead of vetoing) the COVID relief bill, which, for the first time in 44 years, contained funding for abortions in America, using taxpayer dollars.
- Biden said that he wouldn't defend Hyde, and he hasn't.
And, if he and the Democratic Party get their way, a lot more of the same regarding abortion is on the way.
Strong action must be taken lest anyone, especially young people, be confused by the scandal of a "Catholic" in Biden's position aggressively promoting abortion, enabling the killing of innocent human beings.
American rank-and-file Catholics don't want any more compromise and equivocation from the Bishops Conference on this "pre-eminent" life-and-death issue.
We want clear action, not twenty more years of dithering and "dialoguing."
50 million babies have been lost to abortion in the U.S. since Roe!
So, we will NOT accept any more lives lost as a result of dithering and "dialoguing." [**Please see "Notes" below about how it has been reported that some senior U.S. clerics are trying to prevent this discussion from even taking place.]
And, we will especially NOT accept one life lost to abortion by politicians who claim the Catholic Faith, but who promote grave evil. God forbid!
With all due respect to these bishops, they diminish the Holy Eucharist and their high office, as well as cause grave scandal to the faithful, by not imposing public canonical penalties on a man who is promoting mass murder of the unborn against the constant teaching of the Church.
The bishops are now at a crossroads and must choose either God or mammon.
We call on them to choose God and choose Life!
And we also continue to encourage those brave, true and good bishops who have done well to warn Amercian Catholics about the perils to the unborn and the Faith resulting from Biden's promotion of abortion!
SIGN and SHARE this petition, which asks the bishops of the United States to act in unison to exclude Joe Biden from Holy Communion for his scandalous promotion of abortion - the murder of the innocent.
After signing, please take a moment to CONTACT the offices of the USCCB to politely, but firmly, encourage the Conference to take the necessary steps to exclude from Holy Communion public officials who continue to show blatant disregard for innocent human life and the Church's teaching.
The USCCB's Office phone number is: 202.541.3000
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Joe Biden: I support abortion ‘under any circumstance’ - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/joe-biden-i-support-abortion-under-any-circumstance
Biden administration has opened the way for ‘abortion by mail on a massive scale’ - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/biden-administration-unleashed-by
‘Catholic’ Biden marks Roe v. Wade anniversary with pledge to make abortion available for ‘everyone’ - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-biden-marks-roe-v-wade-anniversary-with-pledge-to-make-abortion-available-for-everyone
BREAKING: DC archbishop affirms he will give Holy Communion to pro-abortion Joe Biden - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-dc-archbishop-affirms-he-will-give-holy-communion-to-pro-abortion-joe-biden
Vatican puts brakes on US bishops confronting problem of pro-abortion Biden receiving Holy Communion - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/vatican-puts-brakes-on-us-bishops-confronting-problem-of-pro-abortion-biden-receiving-holy-communion
Abp. Aquila backs call for pro-abortion ‘Catholic’ Joe Biden to be denied Holy Communion - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/abp-aquila-backs-call-for-pro-abortion-catholic-joe-biden-to-be-denied-holy-communion
Cardinal Burke floats ‘excommunication’ for Biden over his ‘aggressive’ abortion promotion - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cardinal-burke-floats-excommunication-for-biden-over-his-aggressive-promotion-of-abortion
Biden’s HHS is lying about Title X to push abortion - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/bidens-hhs-is-lying-about-title-x-to-push-abortion
List of US bishops for and against denying Communion to pro-abortion politicians like Biden, Pelosi - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/list-of-us-bishops-for-and-against-denying-communion-to-pro-abortion-politicians-like-biden-pelosi
Notes about USCCB's June Meeting:
For nearly twenty years, the US bishops have been dithering about whether or not to excommunicate pro-abortion politicians by formally withholding Holy Communion from them.
Their indecision on this gravely scandalous matter is a scandal in itself, but one of the biggest obstacles has been internal opposition from senior U.S. bishops.
And, although the faces have changed in the last 20 years, their morally-and-intellectually-challenged arguments against excommunication have not changed.
Liberal bishops of the USCCB say that excommunicating Biden (for example) would divide the Church, divide the bishops, and would politicize the reception of Holy Communion.
Indeed, in the name of “unity,” it is reported that some senior U.S. clerics, including Cardinal Blase Cupich (Chicago), Cardinal Wilton Gregory (Washington, DC) and Cardinal O’Malley (Boston), have been working overtime to prevent any substantial discussion of so-called “Eucharist coherence” (that is, what qualifies as worthy reception of Holy Communion).
It is also reported that at least 57 other American bishops allegedly joined these Cardinals in a recent letter to the Head of the Bishops Conference, Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles, to try to pressure him to drop the planned discussion at the full meeting of bishops in June.
And now, even the Vatican is getting involved, with the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith suggesting that even more “dialogue” is needed.
These same clerics may mistakenly believe that any attempt to suppress the objective connection between a politician’s promotion of abortion and his unworthy reception of Holy Communion will fool anyone.
But, it will not.
Rank-and-file Catholics are not stupid and can smell compromise a mile away, and we’ve had enough.
With all due respect to the Cardinal, bishops, and the Vatican…those who fail to act diminish the Holy Eucharist and their high office, as well as cause grave scandal to the faithful, by “dialoguing” with a man who is promoting mass murder of the unborn against the constant teaching of the Church.
Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition urging the bishops Conference to take action at their June meeting to exclude pro-abortion Joe Biden and other abortion-promoting “Catholic” politicians from Holy Communion.
**Photo Credit: Joshua Roberts / Getty Images
Meanwhile, subsequent correspondence from Archbishop Gomez suggests that he has not dropped preparations for a vote on a document about “Eucharistic coherence.” He reported that a doctrine committee had met to develop “a brief outline” to propose to the USCCB members in June. The USCCB president emphasized that they would not be voting on the document but on whether or not drafting of such a document could begin.
“If approved, the Doctrine Committee will develop a text,” Gomez wrote in his May 22 letter to all the bishops. “From there, the Conference’s usual process of consultation, modification, and amendment will take place as the document is presented for consideration at a future Plenary Assembly.”
The archbishop included in his letter the “action item” to be voted on by the members of the USCCB at their meeting: “Does the body of bishops approve the request of the Committee on Doctrine to proceed with the drafting of a formal statement on the meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the Church?”
The full list of signatories is as follows:
Cardinals
Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York (reported withdrawn)
Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington
Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM Cap., of Boston
Cardinal Joseph Tobin, CSsR, of Newark
Ordinaries
Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, CM, of Anchorage-Juneau
Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle
Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, M.Sp.S. of San Antonio
Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski of St. Louis
Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of Cincinnati
Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe
Bishop Joseph Bambera of Scranton
Bishop Mark Bartchak of Altoona-Johnstown
Bishop Steven Biegler of Cheyenne
Bishop John Michael Botean of St. George in Canton for the Romanians
Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport
Bishop Randolph Calvo of Reno
Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria
Bishop Robert Coerver of Lubbock
Bishop Christopher Coyne of Burlington
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn
Bishop Timothy Doherty of Lafayette, IN
Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet
Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines
Bishop Donald Kettler of St. Cloud
Bishop Joseph Kopacz of Jackson
Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego
Bishop Michael McGovern of Belleville
Bishop Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City
Bishop William Medley of Ownesboro
Bishop Michael Mulvey of Corpus Christi
Bishop David O’Connell, CM of Trenton
Bishop Richard Pates, Apostolic Administrator of Crookston
Bishop Lawrence Persico of Erie
Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso
Bishop Michael Sis of San Angelo
Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., of Lexington
Bishop Anthony Taylor of Little Rock
Bishop David Toups of Beaumont
Bishop Geroge Thomas of Las Vegas
Bishop Louis Tylka, Coadjutor Bishop of Peoria
Bishop Joseph Tyson of Yakima
Bishop Joe Vasquez of Austin
Bishop Michael Warfel of Great Falls-Billings
Bishop Edward Weisenburger of Tucson
Bishop Thomas Zinkula of Davenport
Bishop Patrick Zurek of Amarillo
Auxiliary bishops
Bishop Mark Bartosic, Auxiliary of Chicago
Bishop Ramon Bejarano, Auxiliary of San Diego
Bishop Kevin Birmingham, Auxiliary of Chicago
Bishop Michael Boulette, Auxiliary of San Antonio
Bishop Roy Campbell Jr., Auxiliary of Washington
Bishop Robert Casey, Auxiliary of Chicago
Bishop Manuel Cruz, Auxiliary of Newark
Bishop John Dolan, Auxiliary of San Diego
Bishop Mario Dorsonville-Rodriguez, Auxiliary of Washington
Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, MSpS, Auxiliary of Seattle
Bishop Jeffrey Grob, Auxiliary of Chicago
Bishop Gary Janak, Auxiliary of San Antonio
Bishop J. Gregory Kelly, Auxiliary of Dallas
Bishop Elias Lorenzo, OSB, Auxiliary of Newark
Bishop Robert Lombardo, CFR, Auxiliary of Chicago
Bishop John Manz, Auxiliary of Chicago
Bishop Joseph Perry, Auxiliary of Chicago
Bishop Mark Rivituso, Auxiliary of St. Louis
Bishop Michael Saportio, Auxiliary of Newark
Bishop Gregory Studerus, Auxiliary of Newark
Bishop Andrew Wypych, Auxiliary of Chicago