The Communion Wars
Thu May 15, 2008 at 07:54:48 PM PDT
Via Vox Nova, one Professor Kmiec has been denied communion for supporting Barack Obama (who is pro-choice), due to a decision, not by a Bishop (who is the only one authorized to make such a grave decision), but by a (presumably wingnutish) chaplain.
Awesome - so I guess chaplains can, at their discretion, now refuse communion to Catholic National Review columnists who are insufficiently opposed to torture? Any Catholic politician who has failed to oppose the Iraq War?
Is a Catholic politician opposed to the pastor’s social justice group? Back to the pews with you!
The Communion line is going to get pretty short, unless Bishops put an end to waging the culture wars during Mass.
I give up: I think I’ll recommend to my pastor that he refuse communion to any admitted Republican, until they publicly sign a renunciation of support for Unjust War, Torture, and Racism.
Of course, this will be countered by the Republicans in my parish, who will agitate for the denial of communion to anyone who has ever voted for a Democrat, until such time as they sign a renunciation of support for Abortion, Gay ‘marriage,’ and Pre-Marital sex.
So, I imagine Mass is going to turn into a situation of everyone checking carefully who receives, and the pastor, before offering the Body and Blood, asking for ID and checking a book to verify that each recipient is authorized to receive; meanwhile, we’ll all thank God that we are not like other men, especially those reprobate Demoncrats/Rethuglicans who are surely going to hell on roller skates.
I grow weary...
