Vatican warns conservative U.S. bishops against politicizing Communion
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is expected to debate at its June 16 meeting a draft document advising bishops to deny Communion to "Catholics in public office who support legislation allowing abortion, euthanasia, or other moral evils," a move spurred by the election of America's second Catholic president, Joe Biden. The Vatican doesn't seem enthusiastic about the idea.
In a May 7 letter to the U.S. bishops, Cardinal Luis Ladaria, head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, urged the USCCB to slow down, seek unanimity before coming up with a national policy on "the worthiness to receive Communion," and ensure no document encroaches on the rights of individuals bishops to set policy in their own dioceses.
Cardinal Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington, has made clear he will not deny Communion to Biden.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ladaria's letter, first reported Monday by the Jesuit magazine America, advised U.S. bishops to reach "true consensus" on any new policy or risk creating "discord rather than unity within the episcopate and the larger church in the United States."
Any statement the bishops issue, Ladaria said, "would best be framed within the broad context of worthiness for the reception of holy Communion on the part of all the faithful, rather than only one category of Catholics, reflecting their obligation to conform their lives to the entire Gospel of Jesus Christ as they prepare to receive the sacrament." Also, he wrote, "it would be misleading if such a statement were to give the impression that abortion and euthanasia alone constitute the only grave matters of Catholic moral and social teaching that demand the fullest accountability on the part of Catholics."
Division within the USCCB has already broken into the open with rival letters this month from San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, who argued that pro-choice politicians should be denied Communion, and San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy, who warned that "the Eucharist is being weaponized and deployed as a tool in political warfare," risking "tremendously destructive consequences."
Along with Biden, there are 158 Catholics in Congress, most of them Democrats who favor abortion rights, and six Catholic Supreme Court justices, most of them anti-abortion Republicans. "In the 2020 presidential election, Catholic voters split their votes almost evenly between Biden and Republican Donald Trump," The Associated Press reports. "National polls have consistently shown that a majority of U.S. Catholics believe abortion should be legal in at least some cases."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 23, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - qualifications, tax cuts, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Long summer days in Iceland's highlands
The Week Recommends While many parts of this volcanic island are barren, there is a 'desolate beauty' to be found in every corner
By The Week UK Published
-
The Democrats: time for wholesale reform?
Talking Point In the 'wreckage' of the election, the party must decide how to rebuild
By The Week UK Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published