Statement from Bishop Thomas John Paprocki on Senate Failure to Pass Pain-Capable Unborn Children’s Act:
I agree completely with His Eminence, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, who called the U.S. Senate’s failure to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act “appalling.”
Fourteen Catholic senators voted against the bill that would have prohibited abortions starting at 20 weeks after fertilization, including Sen. Richard Durbin, whose residence is in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. In April 2004, Sen. Durbin’s pastor, then Msgr. Kevin Vann (now Bishop Kevin Vann of Orange, CA), said that he would be reticent to give Sen. Durbin Holy Communion because his pro-abortion position put him outside of communion or unity with the Church’s teachings on life. My predecessor, now Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha, said that he would support that decision. I have continued that position.
Canon 915 of the Catholic Church’s Code of Canon Law states that those “who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.” In our 2004 Statement on Catholics in Political Life, the USCCB said, “Failing to protect the lives of innocent and defenseless members of the human race is to sin against justice. Those who formulate law therefore have an obligation in conscience to work toward correcting morally defective laws, lest they be guilty of cooperating in evil and in sinning against the common good.” Because his voting record in support of abortion over many years constitutes “obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin,” the determination continues that Sen. Durbin is not to be admitted to Holy Communion until he repents of this sin. This provision is intended not to punish, but to bring about a change of heart. Sen. Durbin was once pro-life. I sincerely pray that he will repent and return to being pro-life.
Full story at Diocese of Springfield, Illinois website.
Another example of why Bishops should stay out of politics. Would Bishop Paprocki, a darling of the right, refuse communion to the politicians who support nuclear weapons? Cutting food stamps to the poor? Continued use of capital punishment which has been demonstrated to be applied discriminately and unjustly? I think not!
William,
Do you actually think that those things are as bad as abortion/murder.
You end your post by writing “I think not !”. I totally agree with your remarkably candid self-assessment.
Nice try WR. Legislators have to deal with the reality of limited budgets, so not everything one would desire to be funded can be funded optimally, or perhaps not even at all. Whereas a direct abortion is always and everywhere a grave evil and Catholic senators’ opposition to this bill cannot be justified on any Christian grounds.
Whens the last time a nuclear weapon killed a human ?
That is very hard to pinpoint. Could be yesterday, I guess. Aside from the victims of nuclear testing who got cancer from radiation, there could be people in NK that we will never know about.
We are not the “right”. Just Catholic.
My post was addressed to William Roberts for using “the right” as a slur.
Now, hold on there… Durbin wants to protect the DREAMers, so he can’t be all that bad according to the USCCB.
That bill was never voted on. He voted no on ending the debate on the bill and bringing it to a vote.
William, the bishop is not doing politics by defending innocent human life. I hate to break it to you, but nukes have kept the peace for 70 years between the US and USSR. I don’t recall any nukes going off in Washington lately. I haven’t heard any bishops advocating neglect of the poor, nor have I seen a great deal of enthusiasm for capital punishment, though I think you overstate the case. No — abortion is unique in that is is legalized murder of the innocent. Any decent man would reject a sexual act that might lead to it.
“Descent men would reject all sexual acts that might lead to [abortion]”
Color me confused. Don’t all sexual acts that might lead to children fall into that category?
yes, you greatly misunderstood me!
Hats off to Bishop Paprocki. It’s about time our Bishops showed leadership on this grave matter. Now will the Bishop’s peers follow his lead with all the other faux Catholics inside the beltway?
We need the Springfield Bishop to become Pope! Can you believe that here is a bishop who enforces Catholic faith? This is the leadership we have prayed for so long in the USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bishop Paprocki is the kind of shepherd the Church needs, God bless him! He is orthodox and bold and is setting a good example for his brother bishops. Watch and learn bishops, watch and learn.
Yes, God bless Bishop Poproki. His innocent secretary was murdered in his diocese for standing up for what is right. Mays she rest in peace.
His Excellency is only doing what he is obliged to do; i.e., invoke the requirements ig Canon 915. Those who try to equate maintaining a nuclear arsenal to obstinantly engaging or advocating grave sin base their arguments on the false premise that defensive measures for preservation of nations is grave sin. It is not.
It is time for the local ordinaries to follow suit with other politicians.
Unfortunately, news of Bisop Paprocki’s actions has not reached the Jesuits at Georgetown University:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/georgetown-honors-pro-abortion-senator-whose-bishop-just-barred-him-from-co