I bring to the readership two offerings which merit your close attention.
A First Things there is a piece by Archbp. Charles Chaput – that he is not a Cardinal is a scandal – about …
Mr Biden and the Matter of Scandal
Chaput clearly and succinctly lays out the issues about why bishops who will allow Biden Communion are giving scandal to other bishops and to priests and “to the many Catholics who struggle to stay faithful to Church teaching”. They undermine the bishops conference. My emphases.
When bishops publicly announce their willingness to give Communion to Mr. Biden, without clearly teaching the gravity of his facilitating the evil of abortion (and his approval of same-sex relationships), they do a serious disservice to their brother bishops and their people. The reason is obvious.
And…
This is not a “political” matter, and those who would describe it as such are either ignorant or willfully confusing the issue. This is a matter of bishops’ unique responsibility before the Lord for the integrity of the sacraments. Moreover, there is also the pressing matter of pastoral concern for a man’s salvation. At minimum, every bishop has the duty of privately discussing these vital moral issues and the destructive effect of receiving Communion unworthily with public figures who act contrary to Church teaching. Reception of Communion is not a right but a gift and privilege; and on the subject of “rights,” the believing community has a priority right to the integrity of its belief and practice.
Cann. 915 and 916 apply.
The whole piece is short and lucid. And it could be helpful to print it out and give it to people who don’t get this, including priests and bishops.
The next thing to which you should attend carefully is Mark Levin’s TV spot from Sunday night on Fox (which, with the exception of Levin and occasional videos of excerpts online I hardly give the time of day since Election Night).
Levin masterfully lays out the situation in Pennsylvania and the blatant violations of the state and federal Constitutions, resulting in an entirely illegal scenario for the verification of the vote. It is jaw-dropping when you hear it explained so plainly. And also listen to his guests, who explain the downright weird, galactically implausible voting results. The video is only 38 minutes (which demonstrates how much garbage advertising there is in each hour).
Loading ...
Thank you for covering both of these. Our Archbishop Chaput should have been made a cardinal before 2013. I am so glad he is not afraid to call out his brother bishops. God bless him! And Mark Levin is a great American patriot who grew up one town over from here. God bless him too!
Given all the fuss over a certain African American prelate having recently received the scarlet, you would think the powers that be in Rome would be more eager to take advantage of the politically correct headlines that would be garnered by making Chaput the first Native American Prince of the Church. Not that he isn’t more than deserving in his own right, as his clear & concise teaching on the Church’s Eucharist beliefs & practices here demonstrate. One also wonders how many current Eminences descend from a pedigree, both noble & holy, as to include the likes of St. Louis of France. Surely Chaput ought to numbered among their ranks, no?
I am no expert, but I don’t think Pope Francis would have a problem giving Mr. Biden communion. I am not suggesting the pope is in agreement with Mr Biden’s abortion policies, but the pope did say that abortion isn’t the only issue. The pope does seem to strongly support Mr Biden’s climate and immigration policies. Is that because the immigration policies directly effect South and Central American’s? I don’t know. Bishops actions are often influenced by actions that occur at the top of an organization. I fear the Biden issue is going to get worse, not better.
Interestingly, Justice Alito changed the date the State must respond to 12/8, the day before the Safe Harbor date. But, to grant certiorari, it will take what is referred to as the “rule of four.” Four Justices will have to agree on hearing the case. They might listen to the arguments for the constitutional question alone. Of all the actions litigated up to now, this has a constitutional question vs. interpretation of a statute. Frankly, they are aware that even if they were to provide what Levin suggests as a remedy, it still isn’t going to change the election.
Biden will receive communion kneeling on the necks of the little sisters of the poor. The depths of accompaniment.
It’s true, Chaput should have been made cardinal long ago, and it is a travesty that he hasn’t while others far less qualified have. Arguably, not a single one of the current American cardinals are as solid as Chaput, and certainly DiNardo and Tobin don’t rank ahead of Chaput, or even close.
I love what Levin is saying, but I doubt whether his arguments are going to win the day as legally sound and conclusive. He sort of waves his hands in the direction of there being “a federal question”, but I strongly suspect that any Supreme Court justices can claim that “having a federal EFFECT” is not the same thing as “having a federal question.” And I doubt that he is right that a Pennsylvania political candidate who tried to sue (before the election) against the unconstitutional changes to the balloting process would have been blocked as having no standing merely because he had not (yet) experienced a harm – I believe that rule applies to torts, which this is not. So, while I hope the US Supreme Court takes the case, I suspect they would do so on other arguments than these.
garbage advertising?
I’m doing all my Christmas shopping at MYPILLOW.com!
I got here too late: the video is gone.
Alaskamamma…. go to YouTube and do a search for:
Life, Liberty & Levin December 6, 2020
A thoughtful article by Archbishop Chaput. I might respectfully take issue with one statement:
“Doing so in a loud and forceful manner may cause more harm than good by inviting the official to bask in the media glow of victimhood.”
Doubtless the Archbishop knows more than I about it, but the phrase “…received their reward in this world” comes to mind (as does separating sheep from goats).
SOMEONE… find that video! 6 December
https://youtu.be/qIcYx-Ry7YM
Life, Liberty & Levin December 6, 2020 on Viceroy Trump’s channel. Never heard of this channel before, but it was the first one I found that seemed right. Only about 15 and a half minutes.
Would I be correct in assuming that whether to withhold communion from the President-elect (and from the Vice President, when he was that) is a matter of international diplomacy discussed by and decided in the Vatican? [No.] Or is has it really been entirely the prerogative of Washington’s Cardinals? [It is, according to the law, the OBLIGATION of the Archbisho of D.C. as well as every priest of D.C. and every bishop and priest of every where Biden might go.]
Interesting, thank you. I formed an incorrect impression of the nuncio’s work by reading the McCarrick Report.
There is little hope for any of us, as Catholics we are being led by a half witted Pope, and as Americans we are about to be led by a half witted President. Our terrible school system, has given us a generation of snowflakes, who think that white people are responsible for any outcome, that does not show people of color performing as well as whites. The color of your skin is your destiny, forget about Asians who excel in most fields, or dumb whites who come up empty. Hard work is a thing of the past, there is no room for it in our Brave New World.
Trump was our only hope, and he was put aside by a corrupt electoral process. In 1917 the Germans put Lenin on a train to St. Petersburg, and he gave the Russian 80 years of Communism. The American voters took Biden from his basement, and put him on a train to Washington, Heaven help us.
“Reception of Communion is not a right but a gift and privilege; and on the subject of “rights,” the believing community has a priority right to the integrity of its belief and practice.”
Good point by Abp. Chaput (who should be a Cardinal) in First Things. His book Strangers in a Strange Land is worth the read.
Mark Levin’s book Liberty and Tyranny is also worth reading.
After Mark Levin’s monologue mentioned above his guest was Patrick Basham. Here is Basham’s article from two weeks ago:
https://spectator.us/reasons-why-the-2020-presidential-election-is-deeply-puzzling/
A reasonable summary of the Texas lawsuit:
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/12/a_summary_of_texas_election_lawsuit_.html