The following item from veteran Sacramento pro-life activist Albin Rhomberg came to CalCatholic in an email this afternoon.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Dear Friends,
It is now known that several of the United States’ most prominent Catholic political leaders who publicly defy the Catholic Church’s teaching that abortion is an “abominable crime” will lead or be in the official US Presidential and Congressional Delegations to the Installation Mass for Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.
Will these prominently identified Catholic leaders, including Vice-President Joe Biden, Democratic Party Congressional leader and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Representative Loretta Sanchez and several others, defiantly present themselves to receive Holy Communion at the Papal Mass in full sight of the world media?
The Catholic Church’s Canon 915 states: “Those upon whom the penalty of excommunication or interdict has been imposed or declared, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.”
In addition, in 2007, Pope Francis, who was then Cardinal Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, presented a joint statement by Latin American church leaders, the 2007 Aparecida Document, which states: “We should commit ourselves to ‘Eucharistic coherence,’ that is, we should be conscious that people cannot receive Holy Communion and at the same time act or speak against the commandments, in particular when abortions, euthanasia, and other serious crimes against life and family are facilitated. This responsibility applies particularly to legislators, governors, and health professionals.”
These statements are unequivocal and Pope Francis has made other public statements of his strong opposition to the crime of abortion as part of a “Culture of Death.”
Will Biden, Pelosi, Sanchez, and others in the U.S. Presidential and Congressional delegations who publicly defy Church teaching that abortion is an “abominable crime” try to confront and embarrass Pope Francis and the Catholic Church at the Papal Mass by presenting themselves to receive Communion?
Will they be advised or admonished in advance that they (and others like them) should not present themselves to receive Communion?
If they do present themselves for Communion, will they be denied Communion?
Will they receive a blessing but not Communion?
President Obama designated Vice President Biden to head the Presidential Delegation with three members: Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives and Representative from San Francisco; Susana Martinez, Republican Governor of New Mexico; and Dr. John J. DeGioia, president of Georgetown University.
All four are identified as Catholic.
The bipartisan Congressional Delegation of three Republicans and six Democrats will be led by New Jersey Representative Chris Smith.
All nine Representatives are identified as Catholic.
The three Republicans are Chris Smith, Chair of the Bi-Partisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, of New Jersey; Jeff Fortenberry, Nebraska; and Sean Duffy, Wisconsin.
The six Democrats are Dan Lipinski, Co-Chair of the Bi-Partisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, of Illinois; Loretta Sanchez and Anna Eshoo, of California; Ruben Hinojosa, Texas; Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut; and Jim Langevin, Rhode Island.
Nancy Pelosi, Loretta Sanchez, Anna Eshoo, Ruben Hinojosa, and Rosa DeLauro, all have 100% ratings by Planned Parenthood, the premiere political advocate and promoter of abortion. (Jim Langevin, Rhode Island, has a mixed position on abortion.)
Republican Representatives Chris Smith, Jeff Fortenberry, and Sean Duffy all have 0% Planned Parenthood ratings.
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez is pro-life.
Vice-President Joe Biden has a long record of political support for abortion as a Democratic US Senator from Delaware. Biden has already been admonished by Catholic bishops not to receive Communion. In 2012, Biden announced that he supports “same-sex marriage.” The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual acts are gravely sinful and opposes “same-sex” marriage.
Jesuit Georgetown University president John J. DeGioia is assumed to be pro-life, although pro-life advocates were dismayed at his statement that pro-abortion activist law student Sandra Fluke, who campaigned to require that Georgetown provide contraceptives to all students and that abortion and contraceptives be included in Obamacare, “…provided a model of civil discourse. This expression of conscience was in the tradition of the deepest values we share as a people.”
Many were also dismayed by Georgetown University hosting appearances by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and President Barack Obama.
Pro-life activists in the US, particularly in Delaware, California, Texas and Connecticut, will be closely watching whether Biden, Pelosi, Sanchez, Eshoo, Hinojosa, and DeLauro present themselves to receive Communion at the Installation Mass for Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica.
It is notable that Sebelius, the president’s point-person in his attack on the religious freedom of the Catholic Church in the US and a very high-profile Catholic who has defied Church teaching that abortion is an “abominable crime,” was not designated by President Obama as a member of the Presidential Delegation to the Installation Mass for Pope Francis.
In August 2007, Secretary Sebelius, while governor of Kansas, was admonished by Kansas City, Kansas, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann to refrain from receiving Communion because of her defiant actions in favor of abortion.
Albin Rhomberg
Tel: 916-427-1671
Obama and the DEMs want to show the world that the Catholic church and its highest leader, Pope Francis, will not give any priority to the killing of unborn babies, and will allow them to receive Communion with the world watching.
It is almost diabolical that the two most prominent pro-abortion Catholics in the country will be in the presence of our new Pope. If they do present themselves to receive Holy Communion, will anyone identify them and be able to save Jesus from this blasphemy? Will the TV media not show this, like they deliberately did not show the pro-aborts receiving Communion at Ted Kennedy’s funeral Mass? Or will they show the blasphemy and thus further Obama’s efforts to ridicule and demean the Catholic Church and show how his power through his minions, Biden and Pelosi, and the others, have trumped the Church?
I pray that Pope Francis will touch their hearts and the Truth shall enter. They should all realize that no one is worthy of this honor and that they were put in this place to take back to their country fidelity to the teaching of the Church.
I saw on CNN, no I don’t usually tune in that liberal news site but I was changing channels and that appeared, they bragged and showed our Pope shaking Joe Biden’s hand and talking to him. Wow you should of seen the big smiles from CNN, I call it the Clinton News Network..haha…they are liberal and it appears that those liberals kinda like Pope Francis….now lets pray for their conversion.
Abeca Christian, shaking hands with someone does not give approval to all that they are doing. Some popes shook hands with Communist leaders in the hope of changing their policies by talking with them.
Anne T I never said or implied that there was approval. Sorry I gave that impression. I was just saying how much they have shown Biden shaken our Popes hands and how much they enjoyed showing that. That is all. But today when I found out that Biden and Pelosi have received communion….now I know why they continue thinking that they are doing nothing wrong. I’m really sad today.
These pro-abortion politicos are not the only ones trying to embarrass and attack the Holy Father — people right here on this site attack him for every little thing, which shows a terrible lack of reverence for the office of the Papacy, and pleases no one except those who love division (like You Know You down in You Know Where). As Jesus said, a house divided against itself will fall.
But who divides Mackz? or what divides Mackz? Sin does…..as we can all see that there are those from within who dissent, and those who dissent blame the faithful for pointing out the obvious, for defending the faith. Remember it is folks like Joe Biden who do all the dividing and scandals as well…misleading fresh UN-Catechized Catholics…they are who divide but our Lord also says this:
“Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. ” Douay-Rheims Bible Matthew 10:34
“For there shall be from henceforth five in one house divided: three against two, and two against three.” Douay-Rheims Bible Luke 12:52
Does any one know that perhaps Joe Biden shows no remorse for his anti life stance or anti family values, could it be that someone from within the church may have neglected to let him know that he is committing a mortal sin? Could it be that no one is admonishing him or that someone may have mislead him to think the was not committing in sin? I often wonder…we do have many from within the church who falsely misinterpret church teachings. I don’t know…just a thought.
If you don’t know you are committing a sin, you are not guilty of sin. Culpability for sin requires full knowledge and full consent.
Mackz, what you perceive as attacking the Holy Father is nothing more than criticism and questioning. Your paranoia due to guilt that you need to expunge is perverting your capacity to understand. In that you defend and promote the gay agenda, your guilt for this abominable advocacy is piling up fast.
I have never, ever seen Mackz defend or promote the gay agenda.
It’s not on TV to be seen but it’s sometimes indirectly done through comments on certain articles..I suppose….I guess he has a different way of handling or not handling dissent in the church.
Everyone, please try to contact the Vatican and the US Papal Nuncio.
Pope Francis MUST BE TOLD – of the Catholic heretics and schismatics that Obama is sending on behalf of the US.
If the Pope is not told of the pending Sacrilege, surely they will try to receive Holy Communion (Sacrilege – Canon 915) and it will be shown in all the media across the World.
These evil politicians use these pictures in future election propaganda as well, to dupe uniformed Catholics into voting for them.
This is what happens when Diocese Bishops do not publically handle the mortal sin of public SCANDAL.
Those Bishops let public SCANDAL stand as if it does not exist, and Souls are lost.
Canon 915 “Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.”
Canon 1399 “In addition to the cases established here or in other laws, the external violation of a divine or canonical law can be punished by a just penalty only when the special gravity of the violation demands punishment and there is an urgent need to prevent or repair scandals.”
St. Paul – 1 Cor 5:9 – ” I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men. …….”
St. Paul – 1 Cor 5:11-13 – “…. not even to eat with such a one.” “….. Drive out the wicked person from among you.”
Very well said, Cindy, bravo!
Prayers, love and reverence for our new Pope Francis. God will prevail.
They’re already an embarrassment to our country and our Church and they will continue to be until our bishops take action.
it’s the Pope’s job to make sure they are denied. it is his responsibility. if he doesn’t know what is going on in the U.S., he is deaf, dumb, and blind. this is not the job for some underling or assistant.
Stanley, don’t be so insulting toward the Holy Father.
For goodness’ sake, when he got elected, most of us had never HEARD of him — so you do think he has memorized the names of people like Pelosi and her ilk? This is one of those cases where the MCs or the people in charge must make sure the Holy Father is not taken surprise — just like Archbishop Niederauer was ambushed by having the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” come prancing up to Communion at Most Holy Redeemer in the Castro, lo those many years ago. The pastor of that parish should have made DARNED SURE those crazies were not in line!!!
Stanley then give our Holy Father time…I would hate someone to knock me down especially if I came from another Country and had to take care of my own country…how is one to know….I’m sure this is perfect timing for us to send those letters, we have a new Pope…Lets keep our holy father in our prayers and lets give him time…let us not be infected with pride…now if a year goes by, well then you can voice your concerns…God understands…God bless you.
Perhaps they will confess prior to the journey, and be absolved. We can pray for that and for the wisdom of the church.
The thing is, you can’t JUST confess public scandal; you have to publicly recant it, or else the public is still scandalized by it. It would be one thing if one of them was dying and he or she summoned a priest to administer the Last Rites, and in the hour of death confessed that sin, in which case, the penitent intention is sufficient, but it is insincere to confess grave public scandal without a public admission that it was wrong when there is no imminent danger of death.
REPENTANCE and REPARATION are both required for forgiveness from the MORTAL SIN of – SCANDAL.
CCC: ” 1491 The sacrament of Penance is a whole consisting in three actions of the penitent and the priest’s absolution.
The penitent’s acts are repentance, confession or disclosure of sins to the priest, and the intention to make reparation and do works of reparation. “
thank you MAC and I highly doubt that they repented…what?? they are going to say “Oh no I signed into law abortions for minors and I feel bad today about it.” OK you are forgiven but then the next day, they are giving Planned Parenthood another big fat check for more free abortions….just saying and wondering if that is how it goes….they are back up receiving communion and patted on the back. Oh poor thing, they don’t know what they are doing….ya right….I’m sure they get tons of letters from good Catholics reminding them of their moral obligations to the poor!
I forwarded this article to Archbishop Viganò using his offical e-mail address: nuntiususa@nuntiususa.org. I would encourage others to do the same.
The pastors of the churches that these people attend need to contact their bishop or superior, and he would need to ensure that these reps are DENIED the EUCHARIST! PERIOD! Clinton, who was a Baptist and pro-abort, for a while was receiving communion in D.C. before a savvy priest realized the sacriligious flim-flam, and DENIED then Prseident Clinton…
A lot of confusion has been engendered by the Bishops themselves, when in an orgy of “being pastoral,” they’ve allowed all the Demoncrat Catholic politicians who should KNOW BETTER to receive Our Lord, apparently under the rubric of “better to be nice” than to be “confrontational,” forgetting that, with this librad bunch, Canon 915 should be uppermost in the good Bishop’s minds, NOT an attempt to be eccliastically “nice”; there’s a whole welter of badly formed Catholic citizens out there who’ll be better served by seeing the pro-aborts refused Holy Communion. That could hopefully then start the conversation as to WHY they’re being refused such. And don’t these offending Bishops who’ve allowed this situation to metastize to such an extreme degree ever realize the POWER such a rebuke as Canon 915 confers upon such an act, and the incredible WITNESS being given to it? For once, perhaps the largely brain-dead American Catholics who in varying polls over the years seem to be less and less cognizant of the REAL PRESENCE of Our Lord in the Host might finally GET IT. This is not a gift to be taken lightly, receiving the REAL PRESENCE has REAL CONSEQUENCES, and some of them are not pleasant. And then there’s the unpleasant consequence of PUBLIC EXCOMMUNICATION for being in OBSTINATE SIN, which is also raised by the actions of these so-called “Catholic politicians,” but that’s for another time. GOD BLESS ALL, MARKRITE
Somewhere there is a history of bishops and popes standing up to the rulers by denying them Holy Communion and/or excommunicating them … and with difficult steps to climb for their penance.
“Pro-life activists in the US, particularly in Delaware, California, Texas and Connecticut, will be closely watching whether Biden, Pelosi, Sanchez, Eshoo, Hinojosa, and DeLauro present themselves to receive Communion at the Installation Mass for Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica.”
I’ll be watching too. We’ll see if PFI is going to go along to get along!!!!!!!
They will avoid this kind of confrontation at all costs!!!!!!!!!
I would not vote for any of these pro abortion politicians for ‘dog catcher”. They could not even get that right. On the other hand, they probably treat dogs better than children in the womb. Well we know, sooner or later what goes around comes around.
Never-the-less, these are human beings, no matter how despicable their behavior, and we need to pray for them and ourselves, and that the Catholic hierarchy do the right thing for the sake of their souls and the souls of those for whom they are taking into serious error. An act of reparation to Our Lord of some sort needs to be made by all of us. What really angers me is that they want everyone to be made an accomplice to their crimes by taxing them or making them pay for all this garbage.
If the Church is not willing to take action, it would appear that “they” have every right to consider themselves in good standings. If they are in violation, then they must be excamunicated and then “they” can do whatever is necessary to be reinstated back into the Church.
If any person continously and openly violates a law and the officials do nothing why should they stop violating the law. They should feel comfortable and confident that they are NOT violating any law.
The majority of Obama’s “delegation” to attend Pope Francis’ inaugural are an insult to God and his church. These self-proclaimed “Catholics” have no shame and no conscience. Characters like Joe Biden are pathetic, pompous windbags. A pox on their houses!
One of the sly media spin jobs on the Biden/Pelosi reception of Holy Communion is to call abortion the views of these powerful political officials. But it is not there views that are the problem but their extreme influence in pushing abortion. They are abortionists because they make it happen to the tune of millions of murdered souls of unborn babies tortured and killed in the womb. So, the corrupt media would have it that the Church is hostile to free thought, but this is false. The Church is hostile to the murder of millions of babies. Those in the media who push this deception also are totally guilty of the sin of abortion. If this Pope can only come up with the same old weak words without any action, then what good is he? Salt that has lost its flavor. When will the Church once again in history deserve a holy man for a pope? In this century? In the next? When? Why would an unholy people be granted a holy pope? My guess is never. So, if the pew people want Christ then they’ve got some holying up to do.
Skai I was highly saddened today when my husband came home and asked me if I had heard. And I asked “what?” He said that Biden and Pelosi received communion.
I was heart broken and felt let down, I’m sure a lot of the faithful felt disappointed and all I could do is give this new Pope the benefit of the doubt. I don’t know how we could recover from such a poor witness by allowing these dissenters that are well known for their dissent to receive our loving Lord. But before I say anything more….all I can remember is the wonderful pro-lifers who given up their freedom just to stand up for life…how many have been falsely arrested or mistreated just so they can reach out to those mislead woman. How much they have been let down but again I must give our new Pope the benefit of the doubt and pray for him. Peace..
I hate to change the subject, but since I do not get on Facebook, I would like to say something about the controversy over the movie The Bible that has come up recently, including on Fox News. I do not know the intentions of those who produced it having the Satanic character appearing black and resembling slightly President Barack Obama since I missed that part, but I do know that no one so far has mentioned that the chief good and holy angel, probably St. Michael, who helped save Lot and his family from Sodom and Gomorrah was played by a black actor who seemed to me was a real African American, not an actor made up to appear black. Also the other saving angel appeared Asian. Perhaps those who produced the film were trying to balance out the two characters, having both the holy and the Satanic angel be black, or perhaps they were trying to send a message. I do not know.
Politics makes strange bed fellows, doesn’t it? How can they profess to bee
a Roman Catholic and not support or believe what the church teaches. There are several religions they could join that advocate what they are promoting – guess they just will do anything for votes – so sad!!! We need people with a backbone in this country, not these two-faced hypocrites!