Column: It’s the Left Using Communion as a Weapon – CatholicVote org

CV NEWS FEED // In a column for the Wall Street Journal, Ryan Anderson of the Ethics and Public Policy Center argued that the U.S. Bishops are right to move forward on clarifying the Church’s teachings on reception of the Eucharist by politicians who promote abortion. Anderson began his piece with a reminder of a relevant piece of history. “In 1962, New Orleans Archbishop Joseph Rummel made waves in Louisiana politics by ordering the racial integration of Catholic schools,” Anderson explained: He then excommunicated three community leaders, including an influential local political boss, for organizing opposition to his decision. Archbishop Rummel taught that “racial segregation is morally wrong and sinful because it is a denial of the unity and solidarity of the human race as conceived by God.” The excommunicated politician responded by pushing to end state support of Catholic schools. There are similarities between that episode and today’s political commentary about the U.S. Bishops’ efforts to teach clearly about the Eucharist, Anderson wrote. While Pope Francis has stated that the Sacrament “is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak,” Anderson asked: “But what if ‘the weak’ deliberately champion their sin and relish confrontation with Christ’s chosen shepherds? The Eucharist is meant to help heal sinners, but that requires repentance.”

Column: It’s the Left Using Communion as a Weapon – CatholicVote org