| Revision as of 23:34, 20 December 2011 editRoscelese (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers35,788 edits making good-faith attempt to deal with bad-faith tags ("has arisen" doesn't imply "had never arisen before," but) let's just say "Europe" and "Mexico" as Espresso source refers to Europe, thus we can get rid of "less reluctant" & refer to 2007 case← Previous edit | Revision as of 11:55, 21 December 2011 edit undoEsoglou (talk | contribs)31,527 edits retouches in light of discussion on TalkNext edit → | ||
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| ==In the United States== | ==In the United States== | ||
| In 2004, |
In 2004, controversy was raging among Catholics in the United States, but nowhere else,<ref name=Word/> about whether ] should be refused to Catholic politicians who voted for legalizing abortion. With some few American bishops in favor of withholding communion from them and the majority against such action, the ] decided that such matters should be decided on a case-by-case basis by the individual bishops.<ref name="Espresso"/> In spite of the conference's decision, controversy continued, with Archbishop ] of Pittsburgh saying in 2005 that, because of "national ramifications", no individual bishop should on his own deny communion to politicians, and that such an action should be taken only on the basis of a two-thirds majority of the bishops as a whole or of a mandate from the Holy See, while conservative bishops ] of Phoenix and ] of Denver declared that they would act on their own initiative.<ref>{{Cite news |work=The Tablet |url=http://www.thetablet.co.uk/article/974 |date=August 27, 2005 |title=Communion for pro-choice politicians splits Church |first=Richard |last=Major}}</ref> Those few<ref></ref> bishops who support denying communion to pro-choice Catholic legislators cite their minority interpretation of ] as justification for such action.<ref></ref> Wuerl has commented that he believes the canon was not intended to be used in such a way, and that a pastoral approach would be more effective for changing minds than a legalistic one.<ref name=PD>{{Cite news |publisher=Politics Daily |url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/05/06/archbishop-wuerl-why-i-won-t-deny-pelosi-communion/ |title=Wuerl: Why I Won't Deny Pelosi Communion |first=Melinda |last=Henneberger |date=11 May 2009}}</ref> Others have said that the legislators in question should refrain from receiving communion, without at the same time declaring ministers of holy communion to be obliged to reject them if they did present themselves, an obligation that the ministers would be under if canon 915 applied to such people.<ref></ref> Statements of this kind have been made by several American bishops, including ],<ref name=CNN/> and by the Director of the Holy See Press Office.<ref name=AP/> Similarly, reports that Cardinal Archbishop of New York ] harshly condemned the action of ], ], ], and ] in receiving communion at a Mass celebrated by ] in 2008 do not represent him as giving orders that in his archdiocese they were to be refused communion.<ref name="Espresso"/> | ||
| Only in the United States is there debate about denying communion to such legislators.<ref name=Word/> Suggested reasons for this uniqueness of the United States are a greater politicization there of pastoral practice brought about by a more single-minded, crusade-like way of changing law and society, and abortion's status in the United States alone as a constitutional right that cannot be taken away by the legislature.<ref name="Espresso"/><ref name=Word>], "The Word from Rome" in ''National Catholic Reporter'', 28 May 2004]</ref> | |||
| ===Mario Cuomo=== | ===Mario Cuomo=== | ||
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| ===Patrick Kennedy=== | ===Patrick Kennedy=== | ||
| In November 2009, Bishop ] barred Representative ] from communion due to his support for abortion rights, saying that it would be "inappropriate |
In November 2009, Bishop ] barred Representative ] from communion due to his support for abortion rights, saying that it would be "inappropriate" for him to receive the Eucharist and asking him to cease doing so.<ref name=CNN>{{Cite news |url=http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-22/politics/kennedy.abortion_1_catholic-bishops-bishops-support-rep-patrick-kennedy?_s=PM:POLITICS |publisher=CNN |date=November 22, 2009 |title=Bishop bars Patrick Kennedy from Communion over abortion}}</ref> | ||
| ==Europe== | ==Europe== | ||
| In Europe, Catholic bishops have not raised the question of refusing communion to pro-choice Catholic |
In Europe, Catholic bishops have not raised the question of refusing communion to pro-choice Catholic legislators: there "rigorous principles coexist with more flexible pastoral customs".<ref name="Espresso"></ref> In January 2001, Pope John Paul II gave Communion to Mayor of Rome ], whose position is that of being "personally opposed to abortion, but not willing to impose his stance through law". Similar cases are found among parliamentarians in Austria, Belgium and Germany.<ref name=Word/> | ||
| ===Mexico comments=== | ===Mexico comments=== | ||
| However, one notable incident regarding excommunication of pro-choice Catholic legislators occurred in Mexico.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}} In May 2007, ] expressed support for the Mexican bishops' envisaged excommunication of politicians who had voted to ] in Mexico City. Responding to a journalist's question, "Do you agree with the excommunications given to legislators in Mexico City on the question?" the Pope said: "Yes. The excommunication was not something arbitrary. It is part of the (canon law) code. It is based simply on the principle that the killing of an innocent human child is incompatible with going in Communion with the body of Christ. Thus, they (the bishops) didn't do anything new or anything surprising. Or arbitrary."<ref name="USAtoday"/> According to '']'', many journalists were wondering if this support could be interpreted as a wish to excommunicate such politicians,<ref> '']''. . May 10, 2007.</ref>; ''Time'' magazine reported that it was in fact such a declaration.<ref>{{Cite news |work=Time |title=Pope Rejects Pro-Choice Politicians |date=May 9, 2007 |first=Jeff |last=Israely |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1619070,00.html}}</ref> However, church officials said that it was not a declaration but appeared to be a misunderstanding.<ref name="USAtoday">{{Cite news |work=USA Today (Associated Press service) |title=Pope arrives in Brazil with tough abortion stance |date=10 May 2007 |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-05-09-pope-brazil_N.htm}}</ref> ], director of the ], clarified that the Pope was not excommunicating anyone, since the Mexican bishops had not in fact declared an excommunication, and that he did not mean to depart from a recent declaration that placed the decision to leave the Church in the hands of individual politicians. However, Lombardi said "politicians who vote in favor of abortion should not receive the sacrament of Holy Communion", because their action is "incompatible with participation in the Eucharist."<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18569939/ns/world_news-americas/ |date=May 9, 2007 |title=Pope condemns abortion on Latin America trip}}</ref> | However, one notable incident regarding excommunication of pro-choice Catholic legislators occurred in Mexico.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}} In May 2007, ] expressed support for the Mexican bishops' envisaged excommunication of politicians who had voted to ] in Mexico City. Responding to a journalist's question, "Do you agree with the excommunications given to legislators in Mexico City on the question?" the Pope said: "Yes. The excommunication was not something arbitrary. It is part of the (canon law) code. It is based simply on the principle that the killing of an innocent human child is incompatible with going in Communion with the body of Christ. Thus, they (the bishops) didn't do anything new or anything surprising. Or arbitrary."<ref name="USAtoday"/> According to '']'', many journalists were wondering if this support could be interpreted as a wish to excommunicate such politicians,<ref> '']''. . May 10, 2007.</ref>; ''Time'' magazine reported that it was in fact such a declaration.<ref>{{Cite news |work=Time |title=Pope Rejects Pro-Choice Politicians |date=May 9, 2007 |first=Jeff |last=Israely |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1619070,00.html}}</ref> However, church officials said that it was not a declaration but appeared to be a misunderstanding.<ref name="USAtoday">{{Cite news |work=USA Today (Associated Press service) |title=Pope arrives in Brazil with tough abortion stance |date=10 May 2007 |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-05-09-pope-brazil_N.htm}}</ref> ], director of the ], clarified that the Pope was not excommunicating anyone, since the Mexican bishops had not in fact declared an excommunication, and that he did not mean to depart from a recent declaration that placed the decision to leave the Church in the hands of individual politicians. However, Lombardi said "politicians who vote in favor of abortion should not receive the sacrament of Holy Communion", because their action is "incompatible with participation in the Eucharist."<ref name=AP>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18569939/ns/world_news-americas/ |date=May 9, 2007 |title=Pope condemns abortion on Latin America trip}}</ref> | ||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 11:55, 21 December 2011
Because the Roman Catholic Church officially opposes abortion, a number of controversies have occurred with respect to Catholic politicians who favor abortion rights. Most such controversies have involved a bishop threatening to deny the politician communion; in a few cases, excommunication was suggested.
In the United States
In 2004, controversy was raging among Catholics in the United States, but nowhere else, about whether communion should be refused to Catholic politicians who voted for legalizing abortion. With some few American bishops in favor of withholding communion from them and the majority against such action, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops decided that such matters should be decided on a case-by-case basis by the individual bishops. In spite of the conference's decision, controversy continued, with Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Pittsburgh saying in 2005 that, because of "national ramifications", no individual bishop should on his own deny communion to politicians, and that such an action should be taken only on the basis of a two-thirds majority of the bishops as a whole or of a mandate from the Holy See, while conservative bishops Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix and Charles J. Chaput of Denver declared that they would act on their own initiative. Those few bishops who support denying communion to pro-choice Catholic legislators cite their minority interpretation of Canon 915 as justification for such action. Wuerl has commented that he believes the canon was not intended to be used in such a way, and that a pastoral approach would be more effective for changing minds than a legalistic one. Others have said that the legislators in question should refrain from receiving communion, without at the same time declaring ministers of holy communion to be obliged to reject them if they did present themselves, an obligation that the ministers would be under if canon 915 applied to such people. Statements of this kind have been made by several American bishops, including Thomas Tobin, and by the Director of the Holy See Press Office. Similarly, reports that Cardinal Archbishop of New York Edward Egan harshly condemned the action of John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, and Rudy Giuliani in receiving communion at a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 do not represent him as giving orders that in his archdiocese they were to be refused communion.
Only in the United States is there debate about denying communion to such legislators. Suggested reasons for this uniqueness of the United States are a greater politicization there of pastoral practice brought about by a more single-minded, crusade-like way of changing law and society, and abortion's status in the United States alone as a constitutional right that cannot be taken away by the legislature.
Mario Cuomo
In 1984, Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor, then Archbishop of New York, contemplated excommunicating then-Governor of New York Mario Cuomo.
John Kerry
In April 2004, Archbishop Raymond Burke forbade Senator John Kerry, a Catholic, to take communion because of his stance on abortion and possibly stem cell research. This action was at that time considered unprecedented and taken on grounds that experts considered not to apply to Kerry.
Rudy Giuliani
Burke also said that he would deny communion to Rudy Giuliani, and that Giuliani should not seek communion.
Joe Biden
After Joe Biden, a pro-choice Catholic, was selected as a vice presidential candidate in the 2008 presidential election, Bishop Joseph Francis Martino, bishop of Biden's original hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, said that Biden would be refused Holy Communion in that diocese because of his stance on legal abortion. However, Biden was not refused communion in his then-current parish of Wilmington, Delaware.
Patrick Kennedy
In November 2009, Bishop Thomas Tobin barred Representative Patrick Kennedy from communion due to his support for abortion rights, saying that it would be "inappropriate" for him to receive the Eucharist and asking him to cease doing so.
Europe
In Europe, Catholic bishops have not raised the question of refusing communion to pro-choice Catholic legislators: there "rigorous principles coexist with more flexible pastoral customs". In January 2001, Pope John Paul II gave Communion to Mayor of Rome Francesco Rutelli, whose position is that of being "personally opposed to abortion, but not willing to impose his stance through law". Similar cases are found among parliamentarians in Austria, Belgium and Germany.
Mexico comments
However, one notable incident regarding excommunication of pro-choice Catholic legislators occurred in Mexico. In May 2007, Pope Benedict XVI expressed support for the Mexican bishops' envisaged excommunication of politicians who had voted to legalize abortion in Mexico City. Responding to a journalist's question, "Do you agree with the excommunications given to legislators in Mexico City on the question?" the Pope said: "Yes. The excommunication was not something arbitrary. It is part of the (canon law) code. It is based simply on the principle that the killing of an innocent human child is incompatible with going in Communion with the body of Christ. Thus, they (the bishops) didn't do anything new or anything surprising. Or arbitrary." According to Der Spiegel, many journalists were wondering if this support could be interpreted as a wish to excommunicate such politicians,; Time magazine reported that it was in fact such a declaration. However, church officials said that it was not a declaration but appeared to be a misunderstanding. Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, clarified that the Pope was not excommunicating anyone, since the Mexican bishops had not in fact declared an excommunication, and that he did not mean to depart from a recent declaration that placed the decision to leave the Church in the hands of individual politicians. However, Lombardi said "politicians who vote in favor of abortion should not receive the sacrament of Holy Communion", because their action is "incompatible with participation in the Eucharist."
References
- ^ John L. Allen, "The Word from Rome" in National Catholic Reporter, 28 May 2004
- ^ Sandro Magister, "Obama's Pick for Vice President Is Catholic. But the Bishops Deny Him Communion"
- Major, Richard (August 27, 2005). "Communion for pro-choice politicians splits Church". The Tablet.
- John Allen, "Antiabortion imperative more complex than acknowledged: John Allen: bishops' views on abortion"
- Michael Sean Winters, "Chaput Cites Disunity Among Bishops on Canon 915" in National Catholic Reporter, 12 April 2011
- Henneberger, Melinda (11 May 2009). "Wuerl: Why I Won't Deny Pelosi Communion". Politics Daily.
- Code of Canon Law, canon 915
- ^ "Bishop bars Patrick Kennedy from Communion over abortion". CNN. November 22, 2009.
- ^ "Pope condemns abortion on Latin America trip". Associated Press. May 9, 2007.
- Beltramini, Enrico (September 12, 2009). "Il cattolicesimo politico in America". Limes.
- West, John G.; MacLean, Iain S. (1999). Encyclopedia of religion in American politics, Volume 2. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 98.
- Hancock, David (April 6, 2004). "Kerry's Communion Controversy". CBS News.
- "Outspoken Catholic Archbishop Raymond Burke Says He'd Deny Rudy Giuliani Communion". Fox News. Associated Press. October 3, 2007.
- Kirkpatrick, David (2008-09-16). "Abortion Issue Again Dividing Catholic Votes". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
- NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli, "Abortion politics: Biden never refused communion"
- ^ "Pope arrives in Brazil with tough abortion stance". USA Today (Associated Press service). 10 May 2007.
- Der Spiegel. Pope Attacks Mexico City Politicians. May 10, 2007.
- Israely, Jeff (May 9, 2007). "Pope Rejects Pro-Choice Politicians". Time.