Friday, November 14, 2008

THE BISHOPS OF THE UNITED STATES NEED TO FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF THE URAGUAYAN BISHOPS

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CATHOLIC BISHOPS DIFFER IN OPPOSING ABORTION

Archbishop Nicolas Cotugno of Montevideo Uruguay and the Uruguay Episcopal Conference announced that any Catholic legislator who voted for legalized abortion would be "ipso facto" (automatically) excommunicated (Canon 1364 & 751), and that no Catholic politician who votes for pro-abortion legislation may receive Holy Communion. (Code of Canon Law, canons 915, 1341 and 1398)

The United States Catholic Council of Bishops have been confronted with this same intrinsic evil for 36 years without taking any unified action against Catholic legislators who vote for legalized abortion and other intrinsic evil laws, except in the 60's when Catholic politicians were excommunicated for voting against and prohibiting racial integration of schools.

Pope Benedict XVI responded to journalist on his visit to South America that the Mexican Bishops correctly informed legislators who voted to legalize abortion in Mexico City that they were automatically excommunicated and therefore denial of communion is required under Canon 915.

Canon 915: Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persereving in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.

Archbishop Raymond Burke, the prefect of the Apostolic Signatura (the highest court in the Catholic Church) in August this year, said that Catholics, especially politicians, who publicly defend abortion should not receive Communion, and that ministers of Communion should deny it to them "until they have reformed their lives." And "Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ unworthily is a sacrilege." He stated the denial of Communion is for the salvation of that person, and to avoid giving the impression that one can be in a public state of mortal sin and receive the Eucharist.

In a statement Nov. 12, the Catholic Bishops vowed to fight President-elect Barack Obama's and the Congress controlled Democratic Party's abortion policies, especially the Freedom of Choice Act, but took no steps to protect the Eucharist. Some Bishops have applied Canon 915, yet others are willing to hand our Savior to those who openly fight to continue abortion and other intrinsic evil laws in this country. The failure to deny Communion to Catholic pro-abortion politicians jeopardizes not only the souls of the politicians themselves, but confuses the Catholic faithful looking for direction from their shepherds, and fails to unite with the Pope and the universal Catholic Church to fight the greatest evil in the world today.

We ask for God's graces to be poured out on all the Bishops, that they be filled with the Holy Spirit and have the courage to stand up against the tide of abortion and the other intrinsic evils, and not only condemn the slaughter with their words, but with their actions.

We pray that every bishop; priest and Eucharistic minister will fulfill the duties of their office and enforce Canon 915.

Cliff Zarsky, President of Corpus Christi Right to Life

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