Excommunication?

[Someguynamedmatt]

I heard that a bunch of Cardinals are saying that John Kerry is excommunicated or should be denied sacraments because of his pro-choice political stance. Is there any merit in those claims?

[BLAZEr]

First of all, you've heard wrong. No Cardinals have said that John Kerry is excommunicated.

There has been debate as to whether pro-abortion politicians should be admitted to Communion. All Bishops have said that pro-abortion politicians should not come to communion. Some Bishops have said that they will deny communion (and ask their priests to deny communion) to any pro-abortion politicians who persist in the grave sin of supporting politicial initiatives that support, expand, and fund abortion.

The fact of the matter is, active involvement in an abortion excommunicates a person by the very act of participating in it. This most obviously includes the Doctors, Nurses, receptionists at an abortion clinic as well as the woman getting the abortion, those who are encouraging her to do so, and anyone who helps her obtain an abortion (those who pay for it, those who drive her to the clinic, etc.).

A politician who actively supports abortion and works on legislative matters to that end is also involved in abortion, though not as directly. It is pretty clear, from recent statemetns both by the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) and the Vatican that this involvement is a grave sin. A politician who persists in this grave sin is also guilty, by the nature of his public position, of causing grave scandal to the faithful and those who are not Catholic.

It is pretty clear that no pro-abort politician should be receiving communion. However the question of denying a person communion is little more disputed.

Please pray for Bishops and for Priests that they may more clearly teach the Church's teachings on the Eucharist and Communion. And pray for politicians that they might courageously follow the example of St. Thomas More and choose Christ before political ambition.