Here They Go Again

From E. J. Dionne in the Washington Post:

Word spread like wildfire in Catholic circles: Douglas Kmiec, a staunch Republican, firm foe of abortion and veteran of the Reagan Justice Department, had been denied Communion.

His sin? Kmiec, a Catholic who can cite papal pronouncements with the facility of a theological scholar, shocked old friends and adversaries alike earlier this year by endorsing Barack Obama for president. For at least one priest, Kmiec's support for a pro-choice politician made him a willing participant in a grave moral evil.

Kmiec was denied Communion in April at a Mass for a group of Catholic business people he later addressed at dinner. The episode has not received wide attention outside the Catholic world, but it is the opening shot in an argument that could have a large impact on this year's presidential campaign: Is it legitimate for bishops and priests to deny Communion to those supporting candidates who favor abortion rights?

No, it is not! Not even the US Conference of Catholic Bishops goes that far.

The priest's actions are almost certainly out of line with the policy of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. In their statement"Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," issued last November, the bishops said: "A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who takes a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, such as abortion or racism, if the voter's intent is to support that position."

The "if" phrase in that carefully negotiated sentence suggests that Catholics can support pro-choice candidates, provided the purpose of their vote is not to promote abortion.

It's a typical Roman Catholic mind twist which was called a mental reservation back in my days in in the RCC, but it provides the same sort of "out" that permits RC women to have surgery to abort an ectopic pregnancy so they won't risk death from a ruptured tube.

It is outrageous that priests and bishops take it upon themselves to withhold the body and blood of Our Lord, as though Jesus needed to be protected. Since I left the RCC, I promised myself that I would not become a bitter ex-Roman Catholic, but stories like this test me severely.

And yes, I know that in my own church, the Episcopal Church, we have misguided bishops and priests who do the same sort of thing. However, we are a small church without the numbers and influence of the Roman Catholic Church on politics in the US. No matter who does it, it infuriates me.

However, despite the priest's pinched small-mindedness, it appears that good comes from the affair:

Kmiec says he is grateful because the episode reminded him of the importance of the Eucharist in his spiritual life, and because he hopes it will alert others to the dangers of "using Communion as a weapon."

Indeed!