— Sandoval: Campaigned as “pro-choice” Catholic, received Communion —
— Cuomo: Record of boosting abortion, received Communion with live-in girlfriend Sandra Lee —
— Mixed messages continue to be sent by pro-abortion Catholics receiving Communion with the implied consent of the Church —
— Actions by pro-abortion politicians designed to set up conflict between pro-abortion politicians and the Catholic Church —
Washington, D.C. (06 January 2011) — Once again, pro-abortion politicians continue to abuse the Eucharist by accepting Communion in direct violation of Catholic teaching.
Lengthening an alarming and scandalous string of protests designed to send mixed messages to the public, Governor Cuomo and his live-in girlfriend, Sandra Lee, received Holy Communion during Sunday’s Mass following a homily by Bishop Howard Hubbard.
Preceding his January 3 inauguration, Nevada Governor Sandoval, who described himself as “pro-choice” on his campaign web site, received Communion at a special Mass concelebrated by Bishop Joseph Pepe of Las Vegas and retired Bishop Philip Straling of Reno.
“It’s bad enough that these men were allowed to scandalize the faithful,” said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. “But the damage they are being allowed to do to their own souls is indescribable.”
Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura (the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church, apart from the pope himself), explained during a November 19 interview, “On the question of a person who publicly and obstinately espouses the right of a woman to choose to abort the infant in her womb receiving Holy Communion, strikes me as something very clear in the 2,000 years of the Church’s tradition – she’s always firmly held that a person who is publicly and obstinately in grave sin should not approach to receive Holy Communion and, if he or she does, should be denied Holy Communion.”
“Not only is it clear in Canon Law that pro-abortion politicians are to be barred from the reception of Holy Communion, but Cardinal Burke recently affirmed this,” added Brown.
“Why are pro-abortion Catholic public officials allowed to send mixed messages on the position of the Catholic Church and her bishops on the sanctity of human life?” asked Brown. “The Vatican is clear on this. Faithful Catholics know better. So why are these pro-abortion Catholics being permitted to give the impression the Catholic Church is finding common ground on the murder of innocent babies? No faith should be treated as a publicity stunt.”