I am going through my email after being away for a week. This came from my conservative Catholic Email group. This bothers me that other Catholics would seek to have other Catholics denied Holy Communion and having stones thrown at them.
I went to mass in Hawaii in a nice church that didn’t seem to have as much hate as the church here in AZ. I thought I could really be active in the church if I lived there. I come back and am again reminded of why I dislike living in AZ so much.
I love Jesus and Mother Mary. I value life. I actually suffer the emotional scares for being forced to do something I didn’t want to do. Yet, I support the seperation between church and state.
I don’t know if I will be that active in the church here. I still have a bad taste in my mouth for what happen the last time I went to mass here in AZ and turning the mass into a political meeting of filling in post cards for the church to send to our elected officials during mass.
Maybe it is because I know what it is like to be harshly judged and have stones thrown at me for daring to be different that I have a really bad taste in my mouth for the witch hunt that is going on today in the Catholic Church. You do not know their hearts. Only Jesus knows what is in the heart. I think this petition is very wrong and I will NOT be signing it.
Chrisy
Petition: Ban Pelosi, Biden from communion
‘These prominent Catholics … promote policies that oppose church teachings’
Posted: February 17, 2009
9:06 pm Eastern © 2009 WorldNetDaily
Petition: Ban Pelosi, Biden from communion
‘These prominent Catholics … promote policies that oppose church teachings’
Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
A Catholic website is launching a petition that targets Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, calling on church leaders to discipline them by withholding communion because they “not only disregard the Church’s teachings … but actively and publicly promote policies and legislation that undermines, opposes and contradicts the church.”
The petition is being promoted by Pewsitter.com, which explained is it not only the right of Catholic church members to call for the discipline, it is their responsibility.
Pelosi, who has described herself as an ardent Catholic, consistently has adopted pro-abortion positions on legislation. She is scheduled in coming days to visit Pope Benedict XVI.
The nationwide “Withholding Communion” petition’s goal “is to gather at least one million petitions for presentation to the U.S. bishops and the Vatican,” website spokesman Jeff Jones said today.
Explained the website, “The basis for withholding communion is Canon 915, which stipulates that those ‘obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.’”
“Canon 212 Paragraph 3 states that the Catholic faithful have ‘the right, indeed at times the duty, in keeping with their knowledge, competence and position, to manifest to the sacred pastors their views on matters which concern the good of the Church.’
“While the Catholic faithful understand and support the behind-the-scenes dialogue and diplomacy that goes on with prominent Catholics, by the bishops, to reconcile them with the church – when such dissent continues for years and in some cases decades – in spite of the actions and activities that have been undertaken by past and present bishops – then it becomes necessary for a bishop to take a formal public stand to prevent further scandal,” said a statement released by the website.
“Unfortunately what has happened is that dissenting Catholics have continued to receive Holy Communion with impunity – and this has led to the false impression that the church condones or at least tolerates such dissenting opinions on serious moral issues such as abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research to name a few.
“Not only do these prominent Catholics disregard the church’s teachings, but in many cases they actively and publicly promote policies and legislation that undermines, opposes and contradicts the church’s teachings. An example of two such Catholics would be Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi and Vice President, Joseph Biden,” the statement said.
WND left messages with media offices for both Pelosi and Biden seeking comment, but neither returned the call.
The conflict between members faithful to the Catholic church’s teachings and Catholic politicians who back pro-abortion legislation isn’t new.
As WND reported, the Catholic archbishop of San Francisco sought to schedule a meeting with Pelosi to talk about statements he contended were in opposition to the church’s teachings.
WND reported when Pelosi said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” about the beginning of life:
I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time. And what I know is over the centuries, the doctors
of the church have not been able to make that definition … St. Augustine said at three months. We don’t know. The point is, is that it shouldn’t have an impact on the woman’s right to choose.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said that’s just wrong.
“Since the first century the church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law,” the bishops said.
“Given the scientific fact that a human life begins at conception, the only moral norm needed to understand the church’s opposition to abortion is the principle that each and every human life has inherent dignity, and thus must be treated with the respect due to a human person. This is the foundation for the church’s social doctrine. … Conversely, to claim that some live human beings do not deserve respect or should not be treated as ‘persons’ … is to deny the very idea of inherent human rights,” the group said.
WND also reported that when Biden was asked when life begins, he said, “I know when it begins for me.”
It bothers me a great deal. A vocal group of Catholics are picking up the first stone. I believe someone taught us a lesson on that once.
Rather than excommunication why not more communication… with God through prayer. That is the answer.
peace
Dear Kin,
Thank you for your comment.
Yes, Jesus did teach us a lesson on throwing the first stone, yet some of our Catholic brothers and sisters have forgotten that lesson it seems.
Wow, this is crazy. I’ve signed petitions in Church before, but they were petitions to be sent to the government, not to the Church hierarchy. Aren’t these people the same one who insist that the Church is NOT a democracy? Do we really expect the bishops to cave to crass political pressure? What would we say if someone gathered 1 million signatures supporting artificial contraception and sent it to Rome? Simply that these kinds of decisions should not be influenced by such considerations. The Church’s job is not to respond to public pressure, but to be both prophetic and pastoral.