“To refuse to give Holy Communion to dissident Catholic politicians is not to politicize the Eucharist.”

Today at The Catholic Thing, there is a great, clear piece by distinguished theologian Fr. Thomas Weinandy, OFMCap about politicizing the Eucharist.

Libs and those antinomians who have given themselves to the wisdom of this world falsely accuse those who would – in regard to manifestly, persistently dissenting catholic politicians – uphold the Church’s law of “politicizing the Eucharist”.

That is not true.   Rather, those who would uphold laws like can. 915 and teach about can. 916 are worried about the salvation of souls, rather than – like their critics – the creation of a “reset” utopia.

Let’s have some clear thought from Fr. Weinandy:

[…]

To refuse to give Holy Communion to dissident Catholic politicians, however, is not to politicize the Eucharist.  The politicizing of the Eucharist occurs in the act of the Catholic politician presenting himself or herself to receive Communion even though he or she is well aware that to do so is contrary to what the Church teaches.

[…]

[S]uch Catholic politicians, in presenting themselves, are using – and so abusing – the Eucharist for seemingly political purposes – to present themselves as “devout” Catholics.  Therein lies a threefold irony.

[…]

First, those who are unquestionably devout Catholics do not need to identify themselves as such – it is evident to all that they are.   …  Second, when a dissident politician declares that he or she is a devout Catholic, one immediately perceives that something is awry. … The third irony is that no one is fooled by this charade, except maybe the self-deluded politician. …

[…]

The Catholic faithful must pray, therefore, not only for the conversion of so-called “devout Catholic” politicians, but also for the Lord’s protection of his Holy Church.

Do I hear an “Amen!”?

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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9 Comments

  1. Joe says:

    Amen, Father.

  2. Gaetano says:

    To paraphrase Fr. Richard J. Neuhaus (of happy memory): “To the Left, the only good Catholic is a bad Catholic.”

    Furthermore, actual devout Catholics are the Papist Taliban.

  3. Hb says:

    Fr Z thx for posting this. The law is clear and Church teaching is clear.

    Unfortunately, our bishops, as a group, haven’t had clear thinking since the Kennedys.

  4. JonPatrick says:

    “First, those who are unquestionably devout Catholics do not need to identify themselves as such – it is evident to all that they are”. How true. The saints never spoke about their piety but just went about and did God’s work. If anything their true humility caused them to admit their failings, their sinfulness.
    Of course those that attack priests or bishops who call out politicians don’t really care about all this. They are just following the Alinsky playbook of personalizing the attack.

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  6. JMody says:

    Politicians telling people they are devout – to me that’s like a first corollary to the quip about power from Lady Thatcher:
    “Power is like being a lady – if you have to tell people you are, then you aren’t”.

  7. JMody says:

    Politicians telling people they are devout – to me that’s like a first corollary to the quip about power from Lady Thatcher:
    “Power is like being a lady – if you have to tell people you are, then you aren’t”.

  8. catholictrad says:

    Who is acting in charity, the people who look at the nude king in his new “invisible” clothes? Or the child who points out that the king is naked?

  9. Simon_GNR says:

    I’m glad that British politicians generally “don’t ‘do’ God”. Politicians’ religious beliefs and practices rarely become a political football and are rarely mentioned.

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