Currently the American Catholic Bishops are publishing a document which will ban Joe Biden from receiving Holy Communion because of his political support for abortion.
I am very happy to ssy that I have never, in 45 years of priesthood, refused anyone Holy Communion.
As a sinner myself I do not think that I have the right to judge another as being unworthy of Communion.
Neither have I ever refused absolution to anyone.
As a sinner myself, how could I?
God is the ultimate judge.
And we are told in Scripture that God does not judge by externals, but by what is in a person’s heart.
Apparently, Joe Biden, personally does not approve of abortion.
But that, quite rightly, he does not feel he can impose his own Catholic morality on the whole population of the USA, most of whom are not Catholics.
I think that Biden has it right on this one.
ABORTION AS THE WATERMARK.
Many Catholics and clerics have made abortion into the watermark of who is a good Catholic and who is not.
This is very narrow thinking.
Morality is a great big, complex sphere and cannot be reduced down to one issue.
Christians cannot be one issue moralists.
And abortion itself is a very complex moral issue and those who reduce it to a simple black and white issue are either stupid or malevolent.
CATHOLIC BISHOPS AS MORAL GUARDIANS:
The RC Church and its bishops and priests have lost all their credibility when it comes to morals.
This has come about as a result of:
1. The widespread and global reputation the RCC has for being totally corrupt.
2. The global clerical sex abuse scandal.
3. The global scandal of bishops covering up abuse and moving abusing priests around the globe, for them to abuse again.
4. The homosexualisation of the priesthood with bishops and priests secretly living lives that would out the make the ancient Romans blush.
Even the Vatican (for politiking reasons of course ) have told the US bishops to hold back.
My feeling is that the US pricks will press on with their plans to block Biden from Communion.
The only good outcome of that will be the RC in the US and world shrinking more.
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 