Threatening politicians & members
with denial of communion, and worse

Implications of this announcement:

Since almost all of the politicians who support one or more of the forbidden activities and who stand a chance of being elected to office are Democrats, this statement effectively prohibits Roman Catholics from voting for almost all Democratic candidates. Bishop Sheridan wrote in the diocese's newspaper ₂ that the 2004 Presidential election will be one of the most important in history -- "critical in the battle to restore the right to life of all its citizens, especially the unborn and the elderly and infirm." This was an apparent a reference to the expected appointment of three or four replacement justices to the U.S. Supreme Court by the next president. The choice of appointees will have a profound effect on the American culture for decades in the future.

The church teaches that any Roman Catholic who commits a moral sin and who does not have access to church sacraments, will spend eternity in Hell, which the church considers to be both a place and a state of being. To a believer, denial of sacraments is a matter of paramount importance.

In order for a sin to be classified as a mortal sin, three requirements must be met:

Freedom of conscience:

In his pastoral letter, Bishop Sheridan describes the limits imposed on Roman Catholics when they make individual moral decisions. The Church teaches that an adult "...has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions." ₄ This belief is held in common by followers of essentially all secular and religious movements. However, to Catholic believers, this freedom does not mean that an individual has the right to analyze a situation using all available sources of information, consider all possible options, decide which is the the most moral -- or the least immoral -- alternative, and act on their decision. Rather, the church teaches that "Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator." ₅ Thus, a Catholic's moral decisions must adhere to the truth, as found in natural law and God's revelation. Further, they must follow the doctrinal and moral teachings of the Church, because: "to the Church belongs the right always and everywhere to announce moral principles, including those pertaining to the social order, and to make judgments on any human affairs to the extent that they are required by the fundamental rights of the human person or the salvation of souls." ₆ The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has outlined the proper behavior for Catholic politicians. They stated that, "...a well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program or an individual law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals." ₇

Proposed document by the U.S. Bishops:

LifeSiteNews.com reported on 2006-OCT-20:

The U.S. bishops will vote on a proposed document, "Happy Are Those Who Are Called To His Supper: On Preparing To Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist" during their annual November meeting in Baltimore, Nov. 13-16.

The document, addressed to all the faithful, points out that Catholics may not receive communion if they are do not accept Church teaching on matters such as abortion and homosexuality.  Catholics should refrain from Holy Communion, says the document, "when they lack adherence to what the Church authoritatively teaches on matters of faith and morals."

The document is designed to help Catholics properly prepare to receive Holy Communion.  It is organized as a series of questions and answers, and explores topics such as what the Catholic Church believes about the Eucharist, who may receive Holy Communion, and how Catholics can prepare to receive the sacrament more worthily

The statement reiterates Church teaching that with "few exceptions, only those who are members of the Catholic Church may receive Holy Communion at a Catholic Eucharist." Catholics should strive "to receive Holy Communion regularly, gratefully, and worthily," but should refrain from the sacrament when they find themselves no longer in a state of grace because of mortal sin, which is an act violating God's law that involves grave matter and that is performed with both full knowledge and complete consent of the will. Catholics who are conscious of committing any mortal sin must receive the Sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion, it says.

In addition to preparations by prayer and scripture reading, confession and fasting, the document also suggests that Catholics should prepare for communion by "wearing modest and tasteful dress during the liturgy."

While this document to the faithful did not address it, the current Pope Benedict XVI while still as Cardinal Ratzinger the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, told the US Bishops that "Apart from an individual's judgment about his worthiness to present himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, the minister of Holy Communion may find himself in the situation where he must refuse to distribute Holy Communion to someone." 

The letter from Cardinal Ratzinger to the US Bishops continued, "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."

"When these precautionary measures have not had their effect or in which they were not possible," concluded the Cardinal "and the person in question, with obstinate persistence, still presents himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it." ₁₁

References:

1. "U.S. voters warned by bishop," Los Angeles Times, reprinted in the Toronto Star, 2004-MAY-15, Page A16.
2. Michael Sheridan, "A pastoral letter to the Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Colorado Springs on the duties of Catholic politicians and voters," at: http://www.diocesecs.org
3. Robert Broderick, Ed., "Catholic Encyclopedia: Revised and updated edition," Nelson, (1987), Page 272.  Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store
4. "Catechism of the Catholic Church," Topic 1782.
5. Ibid., 1783.
6. Ibid., 2032 and Code of Canon Law 747.2.
7. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, "Doctrinal note on some questions regarding the participation of Catholics in political life," Offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 2002-NOV-24, at: http://www.vatican.va/
8. "Ralph Nader on Abortion," at: http://www.issues2000.org
9. Pope Paul VI, "Humanae Vitae. Encyclical of Pope Paul VI on the regulation of birth," 1968-JUL-25, at: http://www.vatican.va/
10. "KENNEDY TO KERRY: Kerry, Catholics and the White House," ReligionLink.org, 2004-MAY-03, at: http://www.religionlink.org/
11. John-Henry Westen, "US Bishops Set to Tell Catholics Opposed to Teaching on Abortion or Homosexuality not to Receive Communion", LifeSiteNews, 2006-OCT-20, at: http://www.lifesite.net/