More Communion Stuff
I wanted to better understand the reasoning of the clergy who favor the Communion ban for Catholic politicians who are pro-choice -- and maybe even for the voters who vote for them.
I find it an alarming issue that will certainly divide Catholics even more. I also see it as one more way certain members of the heirarchy are trying to grasp tight to the power in an institution in which the laity grows more powerful -- and outspoken -- everyday. One older woman Catholic, a Catholic since birth, told me today she'd leave the church if the clergy began telling people how to vote.
Anyway, to read the argument on the other side, I found this essay at National Catholic Register's Web site, written by Father Thomas D. Williams, dean of the theology school at Rome’s Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University.
Here's an excerpt:
"When Church leaders take a strong stand on a particular issue (in this case the moral gravity of abortion), they send a clear message to the faithful that certain moral matters are non-negotiable and that certain actions will provoke consequences. This message reaches beyond the persons directly involved and touches everyone who hears of it.
"I can understand that some bishops would prefer to avoid confrontations at the altar rail, yet this teaching moment may involve some lessons that won’t be learned any other way."
