Pro-Life: September 2007 Archives
I received the following from a friend that's worth repeating here:
Archbishop Burke has published in a peer reviewed journal the ins and outs of denying Holy Communion to politicians who openly support abortion and euthanasia.
The good archbishop is a canon lawyer, and during the 2004 election, he publicly stated that pro-abort politicians were not to receive Holy Communion within his archdiocese.
Here is the article "The Discipline Regarding the Denial of Holy Communion to Those Obstinately Persevering in Manifest Grave Sin"
This section blew my socks off...
Father Felice Cappello, S.J., noted commentator on the Pio-Benedictine Code, describes the principle which underlies the discipline of can. 855. He reminds us that the minister of Holy Communion is held, under pain of mortal sin, to deny the sacraments to the unworthy, that is, <<to those who are indeed a capable subject of the sacrament, but are not able to receive its effect, because they are in the state of mortal sin without the will of reforming themselves>>.
The dignity itself of the sacraments and the virtue of religion demand it, lest sacred things be exposed to profanation; the fidelity of the minister demands it, who is forbidden to give holy things to the dogs and to throw pearls before the swine; the law of charity demands it, lest the minister cooperate with those who unworthily attempt and dare to receive the sacraments, and offer scandal.
Lay canon lawyer Ed. Peters gives the article two thumbs up.
Oh, how I wish someone would give a prize for "Most Important Canonical Article Published in a Peer-Reviewed Journal". I know what I would nominate for 2007.
Hat tip to Jimmy Akin.
Pretty eye-opening to see someone argue that Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion have not only the right but obligation, under pain of mortal sin, to deny communion to those ineligible for it. That puts a big burden on them. If that is so, it is better to not be an EMHC, which is probably just as well anyway. I went to a Mass the other day and there were so many EMHCs (ten) that when they approached the altar, for a second I thought communion had started.
Speaking of which, since the Holy See has seen fit to bestow such a grandiloquent name on these individuals, I propose we deal with this unwieldy title by pronouncing the acronym, "em-hic". It can enter our vocabulary as "radar" and "laser" did, though without enough vowels. "Em-hic" also sounds suitably dissonant.
Thanks to Bob L.
