The Eucharist Is Not a Sword
Kudos to Bishop William Skylstad of the Spokane Diocese for his commentary on the recent news that some bishops and priests will deny Communion to certain political leaders and maybe even those who vote for them!
In the June 10 issue of the Inland Register, Skylstad writes:
" Some bishops have stated that they will deny Eucharist to Catholic politicians who have supported abortion legislation. Eucharist is God’s gift to us, God’s presence among us. It is a most precious part of our Catholic heritage. I strongly oppose using Eucharist as a weapon.
"I am not alone in this opinion. Similar views have been voiced by Bishop Wilton Gregory, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, D.C.; Bishop Donald Wuerl, Bishop of Pittsburgh and co-editor of The Teaching of Christ: A Catholic Catechism for Adults; and other bishops, both nationally and globally.
"As a bishop, I believe we are called to persuade, not to bludgeon. We have at our disposal so many opportunities and means for sharing the Gospel of Christ. We have neither need nor call to take God’s gifts – God’s plowshares, if you will – and turn them into weapons of divisiveness and anger."
