For my fellow Catholics I ask one question: what does this do for the Church?

 

Let's them know that the official Church stance is, was, and will continue to be that abortion is always a mortal sin, as is support of abortion.

The Vatican is sending out mixed messages. On one hand, the Pope urged pastors to focus more on mercy and ease off the abortion throttle. Then a few days later Burke goes after Pelosi over her pro-choice political position. Sounds to me like the Vatican PR office is in a bit of disarray.

 

Show me where the Pope said to ease off the abortion throttle. Sounds to me like you're looking for things to disagree with the Catholic Church about.

I look at this from a couple of different vantage points:

 

1) I wouldn't vote for Nancy Pelosi if she was running against Bugs Bunny, but communion is a matter between an individual & God. If someone chooses to partake in an unworthy manner, then they have bigger problems on their hands--such as "sinning against the body & blood of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 11:27).

 

However,

 

2) I don't have to go to church to take communion. I've taken the emblems at a hotel room in Richmond, a steakhouse in Illinois, & a Greyhound bus in Oklahoma City. Heck, the first "food" eaten & the first "drink" consumed on the moon were the communion emblems. I don't need any church's permission, so if I am Mrs. Pelosi, I'll do it on my own.

 

I don't entirely differ from you on #1....although I would also make mention that Christians are called to steer their fellow man away from sin and towards repentance. Knowingly allowing people to sin against the Body & Blood of the Lord is not really my idea of putting forth your best effort to steer someone away from sin and towards repentance.

 

#2...well...I think that's where the Catholic differentiation of Eucharist comes in. We believe that the Eucharist consumed at communion is NOT an emblem, but rather the ACTUAL Body & Blood of Christ, as consecrated through transubstantiation in the mass. Thereby, our view is that it cannot be taken in the ways you mentioned. The term "communion", when used in the Catholic sense is different from your use in your second point.

Let's them know that the official Church stance is, was, and will continue to be that abortion is always a mortal sin, as is support of abortion.

 

I believe that women should not be jailed for having an abortion. I abhor it but do not think it's the government's place.

 

Should I receive communion?

We agree overall. However, the Vatican loses credibility when it lets the local church let things slide. Singling out a high-profile person when letting everyone else slide simply says they're being vindictive.

 

You know how many thousands of local churches there are? How are they supposed to enforce it on a local level?

So if the local Church does nothing to enforce the Church's rules what is that telling us?

That the local church has lost it's way.

I believe that women should not be jailed for having an abortion. I abhor it but do not think it's the government's place.

 

Should I receive communion?

 

At the risk of sounding pretty judgmental, I would say that in the eyes of the Catholic Church, maybe not? I think that would very possibly depend on how you go about "supporting" abortion though. Pelosi clearly supports abortion. She speaks in favor of it on a governmental level, and sponsers and votes in favor of laws that enable pro-abortion legislation to become law. The Church's teaching is that life begins at fertilization. Supporting anything that prevents that life from seeing its natural cycle of growth and death is the destruction of God's plan, and ending that life early is, in the eyes of the church, murder.

 

Now, I should also say that the decision to deny someone the Eucharist is one that can ONLY be made by a bishop, and clearly I am not one of those. I don't know all the ins and outs of how they make the decision on whether or not to deny someone the Eucharist, but I can definitely say that I don't see any problem with denying Nancy Pelosi of it.

Exactly, there are five major political issues that the Catholic Church has taught are intrinsically evil and are never acceptable. War is not one of them nor is the death penalty.

 

1. Abortion

2. Gay Marriage

3. Human Cloning

4. Destruction of embryonic stem cells

5. I am blanking on #5

 

 

 

Divorce?

We agree overall. However, the Vatican loses credibility when it lets the local church let things slide. Singling out a high-profile person when letting everyone else slide simply says they're being vindictive.

 

High Profile people are held to a higher standard because their influence and actions have a much greater affect on the image of church and how they handle doctrine. I have no problem with what they did here. They can't have Nancy Pelosi int he media giving out false teachings of the church which she has done on multiple occasions.

Call me when they call a priest on the carpet for not enforcing rules locally. They won't. If you enforce all of the "big rules" the flock will go elsewhere.

 

So your stance if everyone isn't punished no one should be punished ? Correct?

For my fellow Catholics I ask one question: what does this do for the Church?

 

Lets me know when high profile members speak against church teachings in the media they will be punished. I applaud it.

At the risk of sounding pretty judgmental, I would say that in the eyes of the Catholic Church, maybe not? I think that would very possibly depend on how you go about "supporting" abortion though. Pelosi clearly supports abortion. She speaks in favor of it on a governmental level, and sponsers and votes in favor of laws that enable pro-abortion legislation to become law. The Church's teaching is that life begins at fertilization. Supporting anything that prevents that life from seeing its natural cycle of growth and death is the destruction of God's plan, and ending that life early is, in the eyes of the church, murder.

 

Now, I should also say that the decision to deny someone the Eucharist is one that can ONLY be made by a bishop, and clearly I am not one of those. I don't know all the ins and outs of how they make the decision on whether or not to deny someone the Eucharist, but I can definitely say that I don't see any problem with denying Nancy Pelosi of it.

 

Very good.

 

I look at it likes this. We all know there are plenty of Catholics who break church doctrine. But most people aren't in the media promoting teachings against church doctrine, you aren't openly spitting in the face of the church you claim to love. If someone on the local level was being blatant about it and drawing a lot of attention speaking against the church I would expect them to be punished as well. The church can't police peoples hearts , they can police actions.

Divorce?

 

 

Not divorce, it was a political issue but I cannot think of which it is.

Show me where the Pope said to ease off the abortion throttle. Sounds to me like you're looking for things to disagree with the Catholic Church about.

Pope Francis warned that the Catholic Church's moral structure might "fall like a house of cards" if it doesn't balance its divisive rules about abortion, gays and contraception with the greater need to make the church truly a merciful, welcoming abode for all.

 

Six months into his papacy, Francis set out his vision for the church and his priorities as pope in a remarkably lengthy and self-critical interview with La Civilta Cattolica, an Italian Jesuit magazine. It was published simultaneously Thursday in Jesuit journals in 16 countries, including America magazine in the U.S. ...

 

Pope Francis: Church Cannot Be 'Obsessed' With Gays, Abortion Ban | Fox News Latino

I just finished a novel where the main character, when offered Communion, refused on the grounds that "cannibalism in any form didn't appeal to him".