(LifeSiteNews) – The American Life League is naming names as the national pro-life organization calls out several Roman Catholic bishops for giving the body of Christ to politicians who publicly advocate for abortion.
Labeling these clerics as the “Judases of the Last Supper,” the American Life League is urging faithful Catholics to speak up about the blatant disconnect between Catholic doctrine and the blind-eye being turned to elected officials who call themselves Catholic while freely promoting abortion, which the Roman Catholic church declares to be an abhorrent mortal sin.
Most notable among these officials are Cardinal Gregory and Cardinal Cupich.
Catholic Canon Law 915 states clearly: “Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.”
Anyone who is “obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin” is not to receive Holy Communion. This means that anyone who has been persistent in publicly supporting grave sin has automatically excommunicated themselves by going against Church teaching in a way that scandalizes our Lord and his Church.
The Church recognizes that abortion is a “grave sin.” Politicians who publicly support abortion are “obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin.” “Manifest” is the key word here, meaning they did so in the public eye.
But Canon Law doesn’t end there on this matter. Once a Catholic politician publicly supports abortion, they are to be refused communion until they, “remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible.” This is according to Canon 916.
American Life League is not calling on our Bishops to deny communion to Catholic pro-abortion politicians to create political drama. The act of enforcing Canon 915 is supposed to be directly followed by Canon 916, which results in the politician making a good confession, for the point of saving their soul. This is the whole point.
American Life League President and cofounder, Judie Brown, served under two Popes on the Pontifical Academy for Life, which under the direction of the head of the Roman Catholic Church, is dedicated to promoting the denomination’s consistent life ethic.
“This is about protecting Christ in the Eucharist,” explained Brown. “The Catholic church teaches that abortion is a mortal sin, a sin that must be confessed before an individual presents himself to receive the Body of Christ.”
“Yet these bishops are ignoring the very fact that national political figures, like President Joe Biden, claim to be Catholic while promoting the deliberate murder of preborn children,” added Brown.
“By complacently giving the body of Christ to these openly unrepentant promoters of death by abortion, the bishops are betraying Christ after the manner of Judas. Judas was at the Last Supper table with Jesus and His disciples when Christ instituted the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist.
During this season of Lent, leading up to that supper on Holy Thursday, we are painfully aware that in today’s Catholic church, Judas is still in the room, administering the Eucharist to those who freely mock the church’s teaching about abortion.”
Among the Roman Catholic prelates identified by American Life League as “betraying Christ’s body and blood” by being complicit in this desecration of the Eucharist include:
- Cardinal Blasé Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, says yes to administering the Eucharist to pro-abortion politicians. When pressed on whether or not he would follow Church teaching on Canon 915, the Archbishopsaid–plain and simple–he would not.
- Cardinal Wilton Gregory, Archbishop of Washington (DC), will not deny Joe Biden the Eucharist, despite the President’s ongoing and intentional abortion advocacy. Despite Biden’s continued and deep-rooted support of abortion,Gregory will not deny him
- Cardinal Joseph Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark, is “wishy washy” on the Eucharist and refuses to take a stance against abortion-promoting communicants. When the USCCB began drafting a document on receiving Communion, Tobin criticized it saying it was “born in some confusion.”
- Bishop Robert McElroy of the Diocese of San Diego, does not want to deny the Eucharist to pro-abortion public figures. He bashed the idea of refusing President Biden the Eucharist, completely missing the point of Canon Law.
- Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, who is no fan of enforcing Canon 915, which forbids the administration of Holy Communion to those who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin. In 2019, when then Catholic Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo signed the Reproductive Health Act into law,Dolan stated he would not enforce Canon 915 on the hypocritical governor.
- Bishop David Zubik, Diocese of Pittsburgh, refuses to lend strong support to electing pro-life candidates. A member of his diocese even wrote a letter to the editor of the local newspaperexpressing deep concern for Zubik’s lack of faithful leadership, especially on abortion and electing pro-life politicians.
About American Life League:
The American Life League has been leading the fight against abortion from its inception. Since 1979, the American Life League has committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to death with a pro-life integrity that stands up for every innocent human being whose life is threatened by a “culture of death.” For more information visit all.org.