Politicians (and other sinners) & Holy Communion

As our Holy Father, Pope Francis, was continuing on his apostolic journey after his visit to Budapest, Hungary and the World Eucharistic Congress, a member of the press asked him about the reception of Holy Communion by politicians who support legal protections for abortion.  Quite rightly, he began by pointing out that abortion is murder, homicide, and it unacceptable that anyone should present themselves for Communion while at the same time promoting this daily slaughter of innocents.  He then went on to discuss the issue of withholding Communion from such persons as well as the issue of “excommunication”.

The Holy Father rightly said that no one should simply be excommunicated and forgotten / thrown aside.  He emphasized that all people, but especially those who are in sin, must be accompanied in a pastoral way which emphasizes God’s continued closeness to them even if they have turned their back on God and His Divine Will / Law.

Unfortunately, the common view of excommunication is that you have been “thrown out of the Church”; and in some very sad cases, the response on the part of the “faithful” has been “good-riddance”; on the part of the one excommunicated the response is too often either a self-righteous indignation (often then broadcast through the media) or a mutual attitude of “good-riddance”.  This is neither the attitude nor the intention of the Church in such situations.

The whole point of excommunication is “medicinal”, that is, the Church is letting the individual know how very serious their behavior is and how injurious that behavior is to the family to which we belong, that is - the Body of Christ, the Church.  As the Sisters used to teach – “in doing this you are driving another nail into the hands, feet, side of Christ.”  That is something that obviously cannot be allowed to continue.

Again, unfortunately, formal excommunication, or even simply not allowing someone to receive Holy Communion has neither been taken well by the subject of that action, nor have the pastors of the Church or Her people followed through with expressions of affection, concern, and determination to bring the individual concerned back into the full communion of the Church.

It is supremely important then, if the Church is to realize her mission which is the salvation of souls, that we take to heart this call to continuing conversion, reconciliation, and charity which are well attested to in the Gospels and in the epistles.

I hope in explaining this important issue we will all be drawn by the Holy Spirit to do our part in loving those who may be excluded from Holy Communion back into the full communion of the Church; which is to say, the full and mutual embrace of God, our Holy Mother – the Church, and each of the children of God.