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| Lesbian judge Sara Smolenski |
Here's what Canon 915 says:
Can. 915 Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.This is NOT a recommendation; it's a requirement. Those bishops who ignore it are themselves guilty of grave sins. They are derelict in their duty of governing and teaching their flocks. The more prominent the public sinner, the more potential for serious scandal.
So what happened?
On Sunday, October 27th, Fr. Robert Morey, pastor of St. Anthony Catholic Church in Florence, SC refused Communion to Joe Biden who was in town campaigning. Biden is not only rabidly pro-abortion, he has officiated at same sex "marriages." Both actions attack, not only the faith, but the family. Fr. Morey explained his actions saying, "Any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching. As a priest, it is my responsibility to minister to those souls entrusted to my care, and I must do so even in the most difficult situations.”
Fr. Morey's bishop, Robert Guglielmone, follows a diocesan policy (Worthy to Receive the Lamb: Catholics in Political Life and the Reception of Holy Communion) forbidding the reception of Communion by pro-abortion politicians and others in grave manifest sin under Canon 915. The policy was put in place in 2004 when Bishop Robert Baker headed the diocese. Two other bishops also signed it, Bishop Peter Jugis of Charlotte and Archbishop John Donoghue of Atalanta. See CNA's article, Biden communion denial was required by diocesan policy, for more on the story. “I will keep Mr. Biden in my prayers,” Morey said in his statement. Let's all do the same for these Democrats doing the work of Satan for "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?"
In late November, Fr. Scott Nolan, pastor of St. Stephens in East Grand Rapids, refused Communion to a lesbian judge, Sara Smolenski, "married" to her partner. When the judge contacted the press, Nolan's bishop, David Walkowiak of Grand Rapids released a public statement of support which reads in part:
As Pope Francis explains in Amoris Laetitia, "The Eucharist demands that we be members of the one body of the Church. Those who approach the Body and Blood of Christ may not wound that same Body by creating scandalous distinctions and divisions among its members." (186) Lifelong Catholics would surely be aware of this.
Inclusion and acceptance have been a hallmark of Catholic Churches in the Diocese of Grand Rapids throughout the diocese’s history. They remain so. They presume, however, a respect on the part of individuals for the teachings and practice of the wider Catholic community. No community of faith can sustain the public contradiction of its beliefs by its own members. This is especially so on matters as central to Catholic life as marriage, which the Church has always held, and continues to hold, as a sacred covenant between one man and one woman.What a blessing to find a few clerics with the guts to stand up and speak the truth. In Smolenski's case, they are speaking the truth to power.
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| Fr. Scott Nolan |
Say thank you to these shepherds!
Fr. Robert Morey St. Anthony Catholic Church, 2536 West Hoffmeyer Road, Florence, SC 29502, Phone: (843) 662-5674
Bishop Robert Guglielmone, Diocese of Charleston, 901 Orange Grove Road, Charleston, SC 29407, Phone: 843-261-0420
Fr. Scott Nolan, St. Stephens Catholic Church, 750 Gladstone Dr SE, East Grand Rapids, MI 49506,(616) 243-8998 frnolan@ststephenparish.co
Bishop David Walkowiak, Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids | 360 Division Ave. S. | Grand Rapids, MI 49503 | Phone 616 243 0491 | Fax 616 243 4910
Thanks so very much for their contact information! What a thrill to see priests standing for the counter-cultural teachings of the Church, AND especially being supported by their bishops! Something for which we can all be ecstatically thankful!
ReplyDeleteI hope they got lot of thank you notes. I'm writing mine!
ReplyDeleteThank you Mary Ann- I will send notes.
ReplyDeleteI will send notes, Mary Ann....thank you!
ReplyDeleteI 100% fully disagree with these actions wholeheartedly. My entire life I have been a very observant practicing Catholic. I humbly attend mass 2-3 times per week. I am taught as a medical doctor not to judge others and I have tried to live as close to Christ's teachings as possible. Christ preached during the sermon of the mount "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". I have worked all over the world in medical centers for the poor throughout the USA, Canada North, Africa, East Asia to name a some areas. I have helped set up many Catholic Hospitals and associated schools and strive to represent my faith in these areas. I am not a democrat, nor republican or libertarian, rather completely independent. I'm more disillusioned by what is occurring on the political "stages" of the world, especially our own highest office in USA. After years of study and working on the ground level, I see catholic priests just as infallible as all of us. I don't understand what Father Nolan is trying to do. I believe like other religions he is taking interpreting doctrines that he prefers and runs with it perhaps to elevate his status...who knows. Christ welcomed everyone into his church, sinners, paramours, tax collectors, rich (who were willing), poor, sick, maimed, gentiles/non gentiles, zealots, etc. Never could this be more represented when Christ healed the Roman centurion's servant (who was like a son to him). Christ said "Everyone" who accepts me and prays is welcome in my Fathers house. I have a very close and humble friend who is an ethics professor (Ordained R.C. Priest) working at a think tank teaching facility in Rome connected to the Vatican. At a retreat, we collectively asked him, "Would you or would you directly refuse Holy Communion or rebuke someone from coming to mass that others within the church class as "not worthy". He said like all teachings, there can be varying interpretation but the Eucharist certainly does not belong to me and not to you. It is not yours or mine to refuse. He said there is absolutely no way of knowing if the individual had repented in private to God and received the Sacrament of Reconciliation. So the short answer was yes, he would personally give that person Holy Communion. It will be a sad day for all Catholics if we interpret teachings so far that Catholics and visiting guests need to past a litmus test before entering the House of God. I think we all need to judge ourselves, not others. Christ told the Sanhedrin leaders when invited to dine with them that they should not judge. This is for our heavenly father to do. We need to find more to unite us than to further divide and separate us outside of our circles. We need to be more inclusive in this changing world, if we don't where will we end up?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous --
ReplyDeleteThank you for your vocation as a caregiver. You sound like a compassionate person.
Some of what you say is true. We do need to be harder in judging ourselves than others (St. Francis de Sales). However, we aren't talking about an everyday occurrence. Canon 915 REQUIRES that those in persistent grave MANIFEST sin be refused Communion. Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi flaunt their support for murdering babies. They flaunt their support for same-sex "marriage." at every opportunity. When you go to Confession you make a "firm purpose of amendment." I suspect a good confessor would tell a repentant Joe Biden or Nancy Pelosi that they need to show AMENDMENT by publicly repudiating their stands. An important reason to refuse them Communion is because of scandal. They lead others to believe the murder of the innocent is no big deal.
I suspect if someone broke into your house and killed a family member you would want them to be arrested and "judged." You might forgive them, but still want to see them removed from the community for the safety of others. Jesus reached out to sinners, but he always corrected their behavior -- like the woman at the well. John the Baptist who condemned Herod very vocally was a man Jesus said was the greatest among men. We are called to make judgments. That's why the mind is called "the seat of judgement."
Your last sentence saying we "need to be more inclusive" is puzzling and it's the kind of attitude that leads to syncretism. Just drop all moral values so we can all get along. That is not what Jesus taught. He came "to bring the sword" to separate truth from error." And that is what Fr. Nolan was doing -- protecting the flock from believing a serious sin, publicly flaunted, is no big deal!