Why I receive Communion on the tongue

Bishops organizing to enforce Canon 915 in DC

What good would it do if good Bishop Naumann of Kansas City enforces a ban on pro-abortion Governor Sebelius' reception of Communion if, when she is HHS Secretary, she can receive publicly in Washington? Thankfully, Archbishop Wuerl and Bishop Loverde of Virginia have agreed to back up the enforcement of Canon 915 in DC as well. Maybe the bishop of Maryland had better get on board, to be sure.
'This will send the message to other bishops that if they choose to pronounce members of Congress from their dioceses unfit for communion, their authority will be respected in D.C. and across the Potomac in Virginia.
The ramifications are enormous: For example, if Sean Cardinal O'Malley of Boston stated publicly that Sen. John Kerry was in violation of Canon 915, he would not have been able to receive communion at Pope Benedict XVI's Mass in Washington, D.C., a year ago. Rep. Nancy Pelosi would not have been able to celebrate her elevation to speaker of the House with a special Mass at Trinity College,if Archbishop Neiderhauer had found her wanting according to the standard of Canon 915.'
Read the entire story in Inside Catholic

Amy Welborn praises the Canon 915 enforcers

Those strong bishops who took a stand and enforced Bishop Nauman's ban on Gov Kathleen Sebelius' receiving communion in Kansas AND Washington.
Do you hear that Obama Catholics, her own bishops repudiate her. You should too.
And pray for her conversion back to the faith.
Read the entire story on Via Media.

Sebelius banned from communion in Washington

Kansas City Archbishop Naumann has asked Archbishop Wuerl to continue his prohibition of pro-abortion Kathleen Sebelius from communion, and he has agreed. Now it's time for a few more bishops to do the same, and clean up Congress, or at least leave fewer public sinners on the Communion line.
Read the entire story here.

Pewsitter petition to deny Communion to pro-abort Catholic politicians

According to a Pewsitter.com release, "While the Catholic faithful understand and support the behind-the-scenes dialogue and diplomacy that goes on with prominent Catholics, by the Bishops, to reconcile them with the Church, when such dissent continues for years and in some cases decades … then it becomes necessary for a Bishop to take a formal public stand to prevent further scandal.
"Unfortunately," continues the Pewsitter release, "what has happened is that prominent, dissenting Catholics, in public life have continued to receive communion with impunity-and this has led to the false impression that the Church condones or at least tolerates such dissenting opinions on serious moral issues such as abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research to name a few.
"Not only do these prominent Catholics disregard the Church's teachings, but in many cases they actively and publicly promote policies and legislation that undermines, opposes and contradicts the Church's teachings. Examples of such Catholics include Speaker of the House - Nancy Pelosi, Vice President - Joseph Biden, Senator Ted Kennedy, and Senator John Kerry, to name a few."
(For more information or to complete the petition go to http://www.pewsitter.com/petition/)

Archbishop Burke: No Communion for Catholic pro-abortion politicians!!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4 February 2009

VATICAN: BISHOPS MUST REFUSE COMMUNION TO PRO-ABORTION POLITICIANSWashington, DC (4 February 2009) –
Judie Brown, president of American Life League, issued a statement today in response to an interview in which Archbishop Raymond Burke, prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican's highest court, stated,"There's not a question that a Catholic who publicly, and after admonition, supports pro-abortion legislation is not to receive Holy Communion and is not to be given Holy Communion … This is a law of the universal Church and it should be applied."

About the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Burke commented,"I think this argument [that this matter should be decided by theUSCCB] too is being used by people who don't want to confront theissue, this whole "wait 'til the Conference decides"...well the Conference has been discussing this since at least 2004. And nothing happens…
Individual bishops and priests simply have to do their duty.They have to confront politicians, Catholic politicians, who are sinning gravely and publicly in this regard. And that's their duty.
"Statement by Judie Brown:"It has long been American Life League's contention that canon law applies within the Church in the same way that state, federal or local law applies to the citizens of the United States. At American Life League, our focus has been on Canon 915, which is written for the express purpose of protecting the body and blood of Christ from sacrilege.We have repeatedly called on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to enforce this law, abide by this law and deny the Holy Eucharist to any public figure who claims to be Catholic while at the same time supporting abortion. Abortion is an intrinsically evil act,and no Catholic who supports that act in any way should be permitted to receive Christ.

We are deeply grateful for the definitive words of Archbishop Raymond Burke. Archbishop Burke was also asked about Catholic bishops who claim that denying Holy Communion to a pro-abortion politician "makes the Communion rail a [political] battleground." He simply and succinctly responded, "Nonsense."
We extend our sincere gratitude to Archbishop Burke for once again making it clear why every single Catholic bishop and priest not only should enforce Canon 915, but is obliged to do so for the sake of souls and for the sake of protecting Christ in the Holy Eucharist from sacrilege."

American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.
For more information or press inquiries,
CONTACT: Katie Walker540.659.4942
kwalker@all.org
Fr Angelo at Mary Victrix makes some vital points about pro-abortion politicians, and those who support them.
"In our Supreme Court and in our Congress, we have a plethora of so-called Catholics who are failing to live their Catholic identity. Over 50 percent of our electorate voted for a president who is one of the most pro-culture-of-death candidates from a major party to run for the highest office of the land."
Yes, we can thank one-half of our Catholics for bailing out on their faith!

Biden not denied Holy Communion in his home parish

We know that the Church is in severe disarray when a Catholic politician like Biden or my own Catholic pro-abort Cong. Tim Bishop can receive the Body and Blood of Christ in public mortal sin. May God have mercy on their misguided souls!
Read the entire story here at msnbc.com.

Column on Rudy Guiliani's communion

Fr. John McCartney has written on this issue here.

Cardinal Egan rebukes pro-abortion Guiliani

“The Catholic Church clearly teaches that abortion is a grave offense against the will of God. Throughout my years as Archbishop of New York, I have repeated this teaching in sermons, articles, addresses, and interviews without hesitation or compromise of any kind. Thus it was that I had an understanding with Mr. Rudolph Giuliani, when I became Archbishop of New York and he was serving as Mayor of New York, that he was not to receive the Eucharist because of his well-known support of abortion. I deeply regret that Mr. Giuliani received the Eucharist during the Papal visit here in New York, and I will be seeking a meeting with him to insist that he abide by our understanding.”
Tim Drake on Pope 2008

My heart broke last Sunday at Mass

I was attending Holy Mass at 5 Pm last Sunday, to honor a holy priest's 45th Anniversary. Fr. Paul Daum has served faithfully in the Diocese of Rockville Centre in various capacities, but I know him best as the chaplain of Birthright, and the priest who offers the Indult Latin Mass once a month. His homilies inspire one to greater holiness, by a mixture of interpretation of the Scripture, and it's application to daily Catholic living. Fr Daum was preaching beautifully, as always. declaring his conviction that "abortion is infanticide", and we must resist the trend to weaken marriage, while maintaining compassion for those who struggle with homosexuality. I was watching the homily from the rear of the church, as Christina is often restless during Mass, and noticed Congressman Tim Bishop seated near the rear of rear of the Church with his family. When Fr. Daum mentioned these 'hot button social issues', Congressman Bishop blushed to the roots of his salt and pepper hair. It reminded me of his recent statement to the Holy Father after Pope Benedict stated that Catholic politicians who vote for abortion have excommunicated themselves, and their bishops may deny them Holy Communion.
Under Church law, someone who knowingly does or backs something which the Church considers a grave sin, such as abortion, inflicts what is known as "automatic excommunication" on themselves.The Pope said parliamentarians who vote in favor of abortion have "doubts about the value of life and the beauty of life and even a doubt about the future".
This was Congressman Bishop's response, he signed the following statement with 17 other pro-death Catholic politicians:
press release “The fact is that religious sanction in the political arena directly conflicts with our fundamental beliefs about the role and responsibility of democratic representatives in a pluralistic America – it also clashes with freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution. Such notions offend the very nature of the American experiment and do a great disservice to the centuries of good work the church has done.”
Tim Bishop said the pope's remarks "saddened" him enough to speak publicly. "To be threatened with excommunication, denied the sacraments ... for exercising my judgment ... as an elected official in a secular role ... I think is very unfortunate."
Fr. Trigilio has written his response to this outrage here.

I suddenly felt ill, as if I had been punched in the stomach, as I realized that it was likely that Tim Bishop was going to receive Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, in a state of excommunication. I took the empty pew in front of him, with Christina, hoping to jar his memory of our confrontation, and thus afflict his conscience further, but to no avail. I believe he did remember me, as he was walking up to receive communion, he gave me a piercing look, which unsettled me. When he approached the altar, he did receive, but not from the faithful and holy Fr. Daum, he quickly skirted him, and received from the Extraordinary Minister. I was devastated, and offered prayers for his immortal soul, according to

Corinthians 11:27, 29 " For anyone who eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, will have to answer for the body and blood o fhte Lord. . .For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgement on himself. "

I was unable to confront him after Mass, as he fled the church immediately after receiving communion. At least I made him uncomfortable, and now he will know why, as I will publicly confront him with this post in the local papers, and by sending his office a copy of this post.

He cannot fairly call me judgemental, as his act of communion is a public act, as were his consistent pro-death votes. I do not judge the state of his soul, just his public sins, which have, according to Pope Benedict's interpretation of Canon Law, excommunicated him. He blasphemed the Holy Eucharist on the Feast of Corpus Christi, may God have mercy upon his immortal soul.

Cardinal Pell to the Rescue

I have been getting hammered, predictably, by anonymous, whom I suspect works for Congressman Bishop on my post about his reception of Holy Communion last Sunday.
Cardinal Pell, the brave, has this to say on the matter:
“All Catholics who continue to reject important Catholic teachings, even in areas such as sexuality, family, marriage, abortion, euthanasia, cloning where “liberals” claim the primacy of conscience rules, should expect to be confronted, gently and consistently, rather than comforted and encouraged in their wrongdoing,”
Source: Catholic World News