By Judie Brown
Catholics in public life, particularly in politics, continue a tradition established by Senator Ted Kennedy and others early on in their political career. Rather than defending the truth, as taught to them by the Church, such Catholics brazenly embrace the killing of the preborn, the funding of the pro-abortion monolith known as Planned Parenthood, and much more. It is as though such Catholics live in a cloud of arrogance, perhaps believing that they can escape accountability before God for their support of killing His babies and condoning the actions of His enemies.
Proclaiming the horror of a recent abysmal vote by pro-abortion Catholic senators, Father Dwight Longenecker wrote:
Since their offense is public it should be acknowledged publicly and their pastors should publicly rebuke them and ask them not to receive the sacraments.
If the bishops and priests do not do this, the faithful in their parishes and dioceses should rise up and blizzard them with letters, emails and the one thing that will really make them sit up and take notice: withholding their contributions.
From coast to coast, every faithful pro-life Catholic should repeat Father Longenecker’s rallying cry. The deadly actions of such pro-abortion Catholic politicians cannot be ignored. These are Catholics who defy Church law by their actions.
But what is even more astonishing is that, with the exception of a few courageous men over the years, the silence among the hierarchy has been deafening.
This is a travesty against Christ, against His Church, and against His babies.
The deadly actions of pro-abortion Catholic politicians cannot be ignored. These are Catholics who defy Church law by their actions. This is a travesty against Christ, against His Church, and against His babies.
— Judie Brown (@Judie_Brown) February 13, 2018
Feckless bishops will not do what needs to be done, yet it is their responsibility to call pro-abortion Catholics in public life to account and instruct them that they may not receive the Holy Eucharist until they publicly repent of their support for the sin of abortion!
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (who later became Pope Benedict XVI) sent a memorandum more than a dozen years ago to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops when he was prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. Entitled Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion: General Principles, this memo made it clear that the obligations of a bishop in this matter are unquestionable. He wrote: “Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.”
Yet to this day few bishops have acted accordingly. History shows that very few Catholic bishops have defended the body of Christ in the sacrament of Holy Eucharist from this sacrilege.
Nonetheless, we are called to be faithful and true to Christ and His teaching. As Lent begins, let us renew our resolution to speak the truth to power and defend Christ’s teachings and His babies. We can do this no matter who we are.
Catholics who embrace the killing of preborn children must be called to account. Preborn babies deserve courageous leaders to defend them, not Catholic political cowards who sanction their killing.
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Learn how to teach these truths to your children and encourage their teachers to do likewise. American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program offers the way. On the subject of euthanasia, we recommend our unit study entitled Euthanasia: An Introduction.
Make sure to have Celebrate Life Magazine in your home. It also makes a wonderful gift for your doctor and your educator, not to mention your pastor.
Start rooting out the evil in your neighborhood by learning how to stop Planned Parenthood.
Please pray for America.