Vatican warns US bishops over get-tough Communion proposals

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Vatican warns US bishops over get-tough Communion proposals

By DAVID CRARY
May 10, 2021

The head of the Vatican’s doctrine office is warning U.S. bishops to deliberate carefully and minimize divisions before proceeding with a possible plan to rebuke Roman Catholic politicians such as President Joe Biden for receiving Communion even though they support abortion rights.

The strong words of caution came in a letter from Cardinal Luis Ladaria, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, addressed to Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The USCCB will convene for a national meeting June 16, with plans to vote on drafting a document on the Communion issue

There is division among the bishops, with some pressing for Biden and other Catholic public figures to be excluded from Communion over their abortion stance, and other bishops warning that such a move would be politically polarizing.

Ladaria, in his letter, said any new policy “requires that dialogue occurs in two stages: first among the bishops themselves, and then between bishops and Catholic pro-choice politicians within their jurisdictions.”

Even then, Ladaria advised, the bishops should seek unanimous support within their ranks for any national policy, lest it become “a source of discord rather than unity within the episcopate and the larger church in the United States.”

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-joe-biden-religion-058bdc0c37aa5ee780e18f4666a999ee


FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021 file photo, President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, attend Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle during Inauguration Day ceremonies in Washington. When U.S. Catholic bishops hold their next national meeting in June 2021, they’ll be deciding whether to send a tougher-than-ever message to President Joe Biden and other Catholic politicians: Don’t partake of Communion if you persist in public advocacy of abortion rights. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

[PortTack]

1. Ppl are no longer seeking out the catholic religion..they will further decimate their flock if they

Start with this kind of nonsense

[hlthe2b]

3. They could never have a better representative in a President for Catholicism than Biden.

Circling firing squad extended from Republicans to conservative Catholic Bishops, it appears.

[Haggard Celine]

4. I agree.

You would think they would be working to bring people into the church instead of making them go elsewhere. He probably wouldn't, but I think it would be awesome if Joe joined another denomination after being told he couldn't take communion anymore. They're lucky that anybody attends their services.

[dweller]

2. So ...

Vete a la verga y entérate

more or less

✌🏻

[Irish_Dem]

6. Such language.

But you are correct.

[Alpeduez21]

5. No more tax breaks for the child rapists!! n/t

[Irish_Dem]

7. If the Catholic Church goes after Joe Biden, a very popular president and very decent guy,

they do so at their own peril.

I hope hell rains down on the Catholic Church if they pull this stunt.

[Peregrine Took]

8. Absolutely. The Church is placing itself on a cultural island risking cult status.

A priest in my parish said yesterday "we" cannot be of the world and must be different, unchanging and stand apart (I assume he means from the culture.)

Hmmmm...a while back I heard another priest say it would be very unwise for the Church to unhook itself from the culture thereby risking irrelevance.

[Irish_Dem]

9. The Catholic Church was basically kicked out of Ireland.

The Irish are no longer claiming Catholic status.

Hard to imagine it would come to this.

But the Church was guilty of so many egregious crimes against the Irish people who finally had enough.

Yes if the Church wants to be rigid and unbending, it will not survive.

[Mary in S. Carolina]

10. The 10 Commandments

Make sure the Catholic Church excommunicates all those that have violated the 10 Commandments. All Republican Catholics should be excommunicated if they voted for Trump who supported the death of hundreds of thousands of people, who stripped Mexican "CATHOLIC CHILDREN" from their parents, etc. The Catholic Church has become a joke and unless they rid themselves of these evil priests and members, they will never recover.

[comradebillyboy]

11. The Vatican seems to have a better handle on politics than the USCCB.

They seem determined to shrink the church in the US.

[TheRealNorth]

12. Maybe it's time for a schism in the U.S. Catholic Church

Too many Catholic Bishops in the service of mammon.

[zipplewrath]

13. I wonder

Considering how many american catholics don't follow teachings on abortion, birth control, or the death penalty, but THIS is the line they want to draw.

[keithbvadu2]

14. If this is so important to the faith, the Pope should decide as he is infallible.

If this is so important to the faith, the Pope should decide as he is infallible.

If the Vatican only gives advice, it is a minor/local issue.

[Permanut]

15. Alrighty, then..

and I'm sure the next letter will be to proceed immediately with carrying out the instructions of Jesus as quoted in Matthew 19:21 -

“If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

[TomDaisy]

16. many American bishops are simply conservative political operatives

[weissmam]

17. just anoither step in the cathlic church

completely tanking itself

[BobTheSubgenius]

18. Wow, I'm surprised.

I've come to expect complete solidarity and inflexibility from high-level church officials.