Scranton's Bishop Instructs Ministers: No Communion for Public Sinners

27-February-2009 -- Catholic World News Brief

Scranton's Bishop Instructs Ministers: No Communion for Public Sinners
Feb. 27, 2009 (CWNews.com) - Bishop Joseph Martino-- who has emerged during the past year as the American bishop most determined to call pro-abortion politicians to account-- has now issued an order that in his Scranton, Pennsylvania diocese, "Those whose unworthiness to receive Holy Communion is known publicly to the Church must be refused Holy Communion in order to prevent sacrilege and to prevent the Catholic in question from committing further grave sin through unworthy reception."

Bishop Martino's directive was conveyed by the diocesan chancellor, James Earley, in an official notice dated February 26. The crucial concluding portion of notice reads:

Therefore, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino, Bishop of Scranton, reminds all ministers of Holy Communion, ordinary and extraordinary, that:

1. To administer the Sacred Body and Blood of the Lord is a serious duty which they have received from the Church, and no one having accepted this responsibility has the right to ignore the Church’s law in this regard;

2. Those whose unworthiness to receive Holy Communion is known publicly to the Church must be refused Holy Communion in order to prevent sacrilege and to prevent the Catholic in question from committing further grave sin through unworthy reception.

The official notice does not mention any individual by name. However it is impossible to overlook the fact that on the same day, February 26, the Scranton diocese also posted an open letter from Bishop Martino of Pennsylvania Senator Robert Casey, in which the bishop-- for the second time-- reminded the Catholic lawmaker of his moral obligation "to oppose abortion and other clear evils."

Earlier in the month, in a first rebuke to Senator Casey, Bishop Martino had warned that the senator's vote against an extension of the Mexico City policy-- which prohibited US taxpayer funding of abortion advocacy abroad-- was a violation of the legislator's moral obligation. “Your failure to reverse this vote will regrettably mean that you persist formally in cooperating with the evil brought about by this hideous and unnecessary policy,” the bishop wrote.

The February 26 notice from the Scranton diocese notes that the #915 of the Code of Canon Law instructs Eucharistic ministers not to administer the Blessed Sacrament to Catholics "who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin." [emphasis added] The official notice goes on to quote then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, in his 2004 message to the bishops of the United States:

Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.

Thus Bishop Martino has clearly drawn the connection between public support for legal abortion and obstinate perserverance in grave sin, pointing toward the inevitable conclusion that a lawmaker who supports abortion must be barred from receiving the Eucharist.

American Papist: Not Your Average Catholic!: A little blip on the Maciel scandal story

American Papist: Not Your Average Catholic!: A little blip on the Maciel scandal story

PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

O Jesus, our great High Priest, hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priests. Give them a deep faith, a bright and firm hope and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of their priestly life.

In their loneliness, comfort them. In their sorrows, strengthen them. In their frustrations, point out to them that it is through suffering that the soul is purified, and show them that they are needed by the Church; they are needed by souls; they are needed for the work of redemption.

O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your heart your sons who are close to you because of their priestly ordination and because of the power which they have received to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs them so much. Be their comfort, be their joy, be their strength, and especially help them to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy.

(By J. J. Cardinal Carberry)

Sometimes you need quiet

This is only the second day of lent and I went to my quiet place today. I stayed home from work and really did some serious praying and soul searching. I find when I am able to clear my mind and heart of trouble spots, I become a better wife, mother, friend and co worker. I did somethings that were theraputic for me...pray, pray and more prayer. I also gave the life of my soul some long needed undisturbed sleep.
Today was very quiet. Away from phones, people and external distractions. I feel I can now try again to carry my cross along the side of Christ. Ash Wednesday was truly a trying day. I think it was the anticipation of beginning lent and knowing what I wanted to do, but I should have known, the Lord has his own pathway cleared for me and I just need to remember, He is always in charge. So my direction has changed from what I originally thought I would do to what HE wants me to do! How many times do I need to be reminded?

Create a clean heart in me, O God, and put a steadfast spirit within me.” (Ps. 51:10) When temptations assail us, let us boldly cry out like Jesus, “Get away from me, Satan!” (Mt. 4:10). Let us set forth from the garden of Eden to another garden, the garden in Gethsemane -- from disobedience to obedience – and let us pray together with Jesus, “Not what I will, Father, but what you will.” (Mk. 14:36)

Lenten Reflection 2: The Ways of the Desert

Well, we are gearing up for another Lenten season in our home. I will post these reflections on this blog because I find them to be very inspirational. We are having our last round of "Fat" Tuesday! I ate some Hagendaaz "coffee" ice cream! Yummy!

As we all get ready to go into our "desert", let us not loose our sight on Who did it for us and why! Let us embrace our crosses that we have chosen to endure ourselves for the love of our King, Who will reward us with the gift heavenly grace
and take us to our eternal home, that of Heaven with all the angels and saints.

Lenten Reflection 1: It Took Forty Days