With some hesitancy, I have started this thread, because the issue is important politically and religiously important. As the attached article makes clear, it appears that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will likely be debating whether President Biden and other Catholic politicians should be denied Holy Communion because of their stance of abortion. Catholic teaching views abortion as a grave moral sin. Politicians who countenance the availability of abortions are, not surprisingly, seen as aiding and abetting in the commission of this grave sin. This puts them in a constant state of mortal sin, which means that they should not be able to receive Communion.
As the article makes clear, a majority of Catholics believe that Biden should still be able to receive this sacrament. However, for strict Catholics this is not a debatable point. Church teaching makes abortion a sin, therefore it is a sin. Full stop. My understanding is that there are other areas of Catholic teaching that are treated equally cavalierly by a significant number of Catholics. This would include, for instance, the use of birth control devices and same sex relations. Will the Bishops favouring a hard line against notable politicians similarly deny Communion to Catholics using birth control or engaged in or countenancing same sex relationships? If they do, then the number of individuals claiming to the Catholics may be reduced substantially.
It's doubtful that Catholic politicians will renounce their support for reproductive rights just because of this religious threat. At the same time, pushing the issue at the conference may well divide the bishops in acrimonious ways. I'll be watching to see how this plays out.
Bishops to debate banning communion for president | TheHill
As the article makes clear, a majority of Catholics believe that Biden should still be able to receive this sacrament. However, for strict Catholics this is not a debatable point. Church teaching makes abortion a sin, therefore it is a sin. Full stop. My understanding is that there are other areas of Catholic teaching that are treated equally cavalierly by a significant number of Catholics. This would include, for instance, the use of birth control devices and same sex relations. Will the Bishops favouring a hard line against notable politicians similarly deny Communion to Catholics using birth control or engaged in or countenancing same sex relationships? If they do, then the number of individuals claiming to the Catholics may be reduced substantially.
It's doubtful that Catholic politicians will renounce their support for reproductive rights just because of this religious threat. At the same time, pushing the issue at the conference may well divide the bishops in acrimonious ways. I'll be watching to see how this plays out.
Bishops to debate banning communion for president | TheHill
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