The US Bishops have issued some mighty stringent documents that SHOULD take many of the new majority in Congress to task.
I wonder if they'll care.
The document denounces what has come to be called "cafeteria Catholicism" in which a person gives "selective assent" to Catholic teachings.
Since the 2004 US federal election, the question of reception of Communion for Catholic politicians who vocally oppose Catholic teaching and vote contrary to their Catholic conscience, has been the most prominent and controversial political issue for the US Church. A number of pro-life groups, some clergy and bishops, in conjunction with an instruction from the former Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, have called for and end to the scandal by refusing Communion at Mass to dissenting public figures.
"We also wish to provide a clear affirmation as to who may receive Holy Communion within a Catholic Eucharistic celebration," the document says.
The document, geared to instructing laymen rather than bishops, does not exclusively address the problem, one that became acute with the candidacy for president of Democrat Senator John Kerry, of flagrantly pro-abortion politicians. Instead, it offers Catholics in general guidance on how to understand the Eucharist and what is expected of them for reception.
A Catholic, the document says, who in his personal or professional life "knowingly and obstinately" rejects or repudiates the "defined doctrines of the Church...on moral issues" diminishes his "communion with the Church" and "should refrain" from approaching for Holy Communion.
The bishops address another controversial issue in the section on "giving scandal" saying that when the dissent is public, others are led into confusion and possibly sin. In such a situation, a person is even more obliged to refrain from reception.
While the document's instruction does not give anything new in Catholic teaching, such blunt language in official pronouncements has been rare in recent decades in the US Church.
A footnote says that the document is ordered to the instruction of lay people, meaning it is not meant to dictate to bishops how to interpret Canon 915 of the Church's Code of Canon Law. Canon 915, imposes the penalty of excommunication on those who publicly and "obstinately persever(e) in manifest grave sin." Innumerable Catholic individuals and groups cited Canon 915 when calling on the US bishops to deny Communion to Senator Kerry and other public figures persisted in publicly rejecting Catholic teaching on the sanctity of human life.
At the time of the 2004 election, some US prelates publicly distanced themselves both from Canon 915 and an instruction issued by then-Cardinal Ratzinger requiring that such politicians "must" be refused Holy Communion until they regularized their position with the Church.
The document was approved by a vote of 201-24, with two abstentions at the US Bishops Fall meeting Tuesday.
See the full text of the document:
http://www.usccb.org/dpp/Eucharist.pdf
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0606495.htm
As we all know, at this time the liberal politicians who support and promote abortion are most certainly Cafeteria Catholics of Convenience. Here at home in Washington BOTH of our esteemed Senators and our Governor fall into that category, which should be to their shame.
Here is the complete list of CURRENT Congressmen and women who are Catholic and who should be held accountable to te teachings of the church. Of course, this list will be quite different in January.
109th U.S. Congress, 2005: Representatives
Rick Renzi, R Catholic
Ed Pastor, D Catholic
Raul Grijalva, D Catholic
Mike Thompson, D Catholic
Dan Lungren, R Catholic
George Miller, D Catholic
Nancy Pelosi, D Catholic
Ellen Tauscher, D Catholic
Richard Pombo, D Catholic
Anna Eshoo, D Catholic
Dennis Cardoza, D Catholic
George Radanovich, R Catholic
Jim Costa, D Catholic
Devin Nunes, R Catholic
Xavier Becerra, D Catholic
Hilda Solis, D Catholic
Diane Watson, D Catholic
Lucille Roybal-Allard, D Catholic
Grace Napolitano, D Catholic
Linda Sanchez, D Catholic
Ed Royce, R Catholic
Joe Baca, D Catholic
Loretta Sanchez, D Catholic
Christopher Cox, R Catholic
John Salazar, D Catholic
Bob Beauprez, R Catholic
John Larson, D Catholic
Rose DeLauro, D Catholic
Michael Castle, R Catholic
Virginia Brown-Waite, R Catholic
Connie Mack IV, R Catholic
Mark Foley, R Catholic
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R Catholic
Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R Catholic
Clay Shaw, R Catholic
Mario Diaz-Balart, R Catholic
Jim Marshall, D Catholic
Cynthia McKinney, D Catholic
Phil Gingrey, R Catholic
Butch Otter, R Catholic
Dan Lipinski, D Catholic
Luis Gutierrez, D Catholic
Henry Hyde, R Catholic
Jerry Costello, D Catholic
Lane Evans, D Catholic
Ray LaHood, R Catholic
Peter Visclosky, D Catholic
Steve King, R Catholic
Anne Northrup, R Catholic
Bobby Jindal, R Catholic
Charlie Melancon, D Catholic
Mike Michaud, D Catholic
Richard Neal, D Catholic
James McGovern, D Catholic
Martin Meehan, D Catholic
Edward Markey, D Catholic
Michael Capuano, D Catholic
Stephen Lynch, D Catholic
Bill Delahunt, D Catholic
Bart Stupak, D Catholic
Dave Camp, R Catholic
Dale Kildee, D Catholic
Joe Schwarz, R Catholic
Joe Knollenberg, R Catholic
Thaddeus McCotter, R Catholic
John Dingell, D Catholic
Gil Gutknecht, R Catholic
Betty McCollum, D Catholic
Mark Kennedy, R Catholic
James Oberstar, D Catholic
Gene Taylor, D Catholic
William Clay, Jr., D Catholic
Kenny Hulshof, R Catholic
Jeff Fortenberry, R Catholic
Jon Porter, R Catholic
Frank LoBiondo, R Catholic
Christopher Smith, R Catholic
Frank Pallone, D Catholic
Michael Ferguson, R Catholic
Bill Pascrell, D Catholic
Robert Menendez, D Catholic
Timothy Bishop, D Catholic
Peter King, R Catholic
Carolyn McCarthy, D Catholic
Joseph Crowley, D Catholic
Nydia Velazquez, D Catholic
Vito Fossella, R Catholic
Charles Rangel, D Catholic
Jose Serrano, D Catholic
John Sweeney, R Catholic
Michael McNulty, D Catholic
Maurice Hinchey, D Catholic
John McHugh, R Catholic
Sherwood Boehlert, R Catholic
James Walsh, R Catholic
Brian Higgins, D Catholic
Walter Jones, R Catholic
Virginia Foxx, R Catholic
Patrick McHenry, R Catholic
Steve Chabot, R Catholic
John Boehner, R Catholic
Marcy Kaptur, D Catholic
Dennis Kucinich, D Catholic,
Patrick Tiberi, R Catholic
Timothy Ryan, D Catholic
Bob Ney, R Catholic
John Sullivan, R Catholic
Peter DeFazio, D Catholic
Robert Brady, D Catholic
Phil English, R Catholic
Melissa Hart, R Catholic
Michael Fitzpatrick, R Catholic
Paul Kanjorski, D Catholic
John Murtha, D Catholic
Michael Doyle, D Catholic
Tim Holden, D Catholic
Tim Murphy, R Catholic
Patrick Kennedy, D Catholic
Jim Langevin, D Catholic
Kevin Brady, R Catholic
Michael McCaul, R Catholic
Ruben Hinojosa, D Catholic
Silvestre Reyes, D Catholic
Charles Gonzalez, D Catholic
Henry Cuellar, D Catholic
James Moran, D Catholic
Doc Hastings, R Catholic
Paul Ryan, R Catholic
David Obey, D Catholic
Mark Green, R Catholic
US SENATE
Lisa Murkowski (Alaska-R) Catholic
Ken Salazar (Colorado-D) Catholic
Christopher Dodd (Connecticut-D) Catholic
Joseph Biden (Delaware-D) Catholic
Mel Martinez (Florida-R) Catholic
Sam Brownback (Kansas-R) Catholic
Tom Harkin (Iowa-D) Catholic
Richard Durbin (Illinois-D) Catholic
Jim Bunning (Kentucky-R) Catholic
Mary Landrieu (Louisiana-D) Catholic
David Vitter (Louisiana-R) Catholic
Edward Kennedy (Mass-D) Catholic
John Kerry (Mass-D) Catholic
Barbara Mikulski (Maryland-D) Catholic
Susan Collins (Maine-R) Catholic
John Sununu (New Hampshire-R) Catholic
Pete Domenici (New Mexico-R) Catholic
Mike DeWine (Ohio-R) Catholic
George Voinovich (Ohio-R) Catholic
Rick Santorum (Penn-R) Catholic
Jack Reed (Rhode Island-D) Catholic
Patrick Leahy (Vermont-D) Catholic
Maria Cantwell (Washington-D) Catholic
Patty Murray (Washington-D) Catholic
There are very few priests and bishops that will challenge a powerful politician. Seattle Archdiocese finger-in-the-wind Bishop Brunett certainly never will. Many of these faith hypocrites are going to be assuming leadership positions in January. I know it's no longer easy to email these politicians. They've almost all gone to a "form submission" than just a simple emai. But, I believe it is up to those of us who care about these teachings to shame the politicians into living and voting the faith they claim or have their hypocisy exposed.