The prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) has urged the US bishops to be cautious about any national policy regarding the reception of Communion by prominent Catholics who promote abortion and euthanasia.
But the CDF prefect, Cardinal Luis Ladaria, made a distinction between a national policy — which would require near unanimity among the American bishops — and policies set by individual diocesan bishops.
Citing Apostolos Suos, the 1998 apostolic letter in which Pope John Paul II defined the authority of bishops’ conferences, Cardinal Ladaria noted that an episcopal conference can only issue doctrinal statements if the members of that conference are unanimous in supporting it. However, he also observed that the conference does not limit an individual bishop’s authority to set policies within his own diocese.
Prominent American prelates have issued conflicting statement in recent weeks about whether pro-choice politicians to receive Communion. The question has troubled the US bishops’ conference for more than a decade.
The American bishops are scheduled to discuss the contentious issue in June, and possibly vote on a statement about the reception of Communion by prominent politicians who oppose Church teachings on the dignity of human life.
In a May 7 letter to Archbishop José Gomez, the president of the US bishops’ conference, Cardinal Ladaria called for caution because of the “possibly contentious nature” of the discussion. He observed that a call for a national policy could “become a source of discord rather than unity within the episcopate and the larger Church in the United States.”
Cardinal Ladaria said that a nationwide policy on the reception of Communion should be approved only after an “extensive and serene dialogue,” and only if the American bishops could reach strong consensus on the issue.
The cardinal recommended that the American bishops should consult with bishops in other countries before issuing any doctrinal statement.
Cardinal Ladaria suggested that it would be wrong for the US episcopal conference to approve a policy that would suggest “the only grave matters of Catholic moral and social teaching that demand the fullest level of accountability” are abortion and euthanasia.
However no American bishop has ever suggested that abortion and euthanasia are the only moral issues to be included in an appraisal of politicians. Rather, the US bishops’ conference has stated that the right to life is the “pre-eminent” public issue of our time. Also, while political issues such as racism and nuclear war obviously involve serious moral issues, no prominent Catholic politicians endorse racism and nuclear war.
The above comes from a May 10 story on Catholic Culture.
This is the response of a weak leader. Direct and intention killing of the innocent is contentious, but who or what is he afraid of? It is beyond scandalous that senior church officials are running scared from the battlefield, it is cowardly.
Surprise surprise. What a seismic shift from the days of Benedict. The fact that he is still alive and has to face this catastrophe of his own making must be hard to bear. This announcement also tests the resolve of Abp Cordileone, as it is not Ladaria speaking so much as it is Francis.
How did Benedict cause something he didn’t do?
What is being proposed isn’t a doctrinal statement; it’s a disciplinary statement about enforcing Canon 915.
Recognizing that, I agree with the prefect’s suggestion that individual bishops should enact their own disciplinary measures instead of relying on the USCCB to declare a national policy.
In an ideal church, every bishop would already agree that pro-abort Catholic politicians should be excluded from Communion and it would already have been national policy for decades. That’s not going to happen.
Nothing is stopping any bishop from declaring a policy in his own diocese for his own faithful. Something like: “After much thought, prayer and consultation, in view of my responsibility as bishop of this diocese to teach, sanctify and judge for the faithful entrusted to me, I am decreeing that politicians who have publicly supported legal abortion and who have enacted legislation or government policies that have increased the availability and extent of legal abortion are excluded from receiving Communion in my diocese in accord with Canon 915, since by their words and actions they have shown themselves to be manifestly persisting in objectively grave sin. I have provided the priests in my diocese with the names of resident politicians who should not be given Communion unless and until they make a good Confession and publicly recant their support for legal abortion. I have also personally extended notice to those same politicians about this disciplinary measure along with my sincere and hopeful invitation for their reconciliation with Christ and his Church.”
The Catholic Church simply needs a universal procedure, as in the pre-Conciliar Church, obediently following the Code of Canon Law, applying the penalty of excommunication individually, as needed, to those who deserve it. Very simple. If Cardinal Ladaria is “too scared,” he should be replaced by a competent cardinal. The role of Prefect of the CDF requires excellent, manly, mature leadership, with true devotion to Christ. The Prefect of the CDF is extremely important, ranking “No. 2,” right next to the Pope, in authority and leadership of the Catholic Faith.
It is totally ridiculous, the post-Vatican II concept of “no discipline,” plus, the mandate of all bishops in a country to be required to “agree” on a serious matter, before a bishop makes a decision to take serious disciplinary action! Ridiculous! They should all simply be required to follow procedures laid out in the Code of Canon Law, whether they like it or not! That’s their job, for Christ! And the Pope should have full authority of his Church, not individual bishops’ conferences floundering around! We are all one Church, under the leadership of St. Peter’s successor, the Pope! Many Vatican II concepts are simply– ridiculous!!
There is no mandate of all bishops in a country to be required to agree on a serious matter. All bishops have the authority to make their own decision but it is not a “disciplinary” action-it is a medicinal one.
Bishop’s conference do not have authority as you are implying.
Does that mean that every position issued by the USCCB must be unanimous?
If the proposal is to adopt a nationwide practice or binding teaching, then yes; but a sizable majority may pass a proposal and submit it to Rome for binding recognition, which Rome does not have to grant and probably wouldn’t unless it passed by near-unanimity. Reason being that episcopal conferences don’t have any legislative nor magisterial authority as an assembly; whatever authority they possess is merely the collective authority of each bishop over his own territory, always under the authority of the pope.
So, one bishop (a Cardinal in Rome) urges other bishops to be “cautious.” There’s no authority in that. (Arch)bishops Cordileone, Naumann, Olmsted, Strickland and others might simply reply, “Thank you, Your Eminence, for sharing” and continue to do the right thing.
Bishops’ conferences, as such, have no authority.
And, as noted, maybe all could agree that the teachings of the Church about the dignity of life, Holy Communion and unrepentant public sinners should be universal (and not on a nation by nation, “synodal,” basis, let alone diocese to diocese).
A sin in San Marcos is a sin in Long Beach and is also still a sin in Milan, Sacramento or Washington D.C.
One Apostle, Paul, corrected another Apostle, in fact the first among the Apostles, Peter. And, Saint Peter apparently welcomed that and changed his errant way. See Galatians 2 and Acts of the Apostles.
https://www.osvnews.com/2021/05/10/cardinal-ladaria-cautions-u-s-bishops-on-politicians-and-communion/
This seems to be the article that this excerpt was taken from
Less than useless…….
The good Cardinal should read Canon Law. I would guess that failure to take a positive position on the subject by the Bishops would be the death sentence of the Catholic Church in America.
Did the Cardinal read Archbishop Cordileone’s pastoral letter?
If he did, is there anything specifically with which he disagrees?
The Gospel is “contentious.”
Just ask any of the Apostles.
“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude 3
Though, of course, we must always love all persons, we must also contend for the truth. Failing to speak the truth is not loving.
As Jesus taught us, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”