[Vision2020] 05-14-04 NY Times: Bishop Would Deny Rite for Defiant Catholic Voters
Art Deco aka W. Fox
deco@moscow.com
Fri, 14 May 2004 07:31:21 -0700
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May 14, 2004
Bishop Would Deny Rite for Defiant Catholic Voters
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
he Roman Catholic bishop of Colorado Springs has issued a pastoral letter
saying that American Catholics should not receive communion if they vote for
politicians who defy church teaching by supporting abortion rights, same-sex
marriage, euthanasia or stem-cell research.
Several bishops in the United States have warned that they will deny
communion to Catholic politicians who fail to stand with the church, but Bishop
Michael J. Sheridan of Colorado Springs is believed to be the first to say he
will extend the ban to Catholic voters.
"Anyone who professes the Catholic faith with his lips while at the same
time publicly supporting legislation or candidates that defy God's law makes a
mockery of that faith and belies his identity as a Catholic," Bishop Sheridan
wrote.
In a telephone interview, the bishop said: "I'm not making a political
statement. I'm making a statement about church teaching."
Since voting is a private act, there would be no way for the bishop or a
priest to know whether to give communion. Catholics believe that those who know
they are in the church's good graces may present themselves for communion.
Bishop Sheridan's order, published in his diocesan newspaper on May 5 and
applying only to Catholics in his diocese, comes at a time when bishops across
the country have issued a spate of conflicting directives on whether to
discipline errant Catholic politicians. The dispute has intensified as the
bishops debate whether to make an example of Senator John Kerry of
Massachusetts, the probable Democratic candidate for president and a Catholic
who has consistently favored abortion rights.
Several cardinals and bishops have said they would rather try to persuade
disobedient politicians in private talks than to threaten them with public
sanctions.
Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington, who is heading a committee
studying how bishops should relate to Catholic politicians, said Thursday in his
archdiocesan newspaper that he did not favor using the eucharist as a
"sanction."
Cardinal McCarrick wrote, "I do not favor a confrontation at the altar
rail with the sacred body of the Lord Jesus in my hand."
Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles told the National Catholic
Reporter in Rome on Thursday that Mr. Kerry would be welcome to receive
communion in the Los Angeles archdiocese. Cardinal Mahony had a private meeting
with Mr. Kerry on May 5.
The committee of bishops headed by Cardinal McCarrick is not expected to
issue recommendations until after the presidential election.
In the absence of a unified national position, individual bishops are
producing widely diverging directives, causing widespread confusion, said
Russell Shaw, Washington correspondent for the Catholic publication Our Sunday
Visitor and a former spokesman for the bishops.
"There's probably a rather small number of bishops who are strongly in
favor of denying communion," Mr. Shaw said. "Probably a somewhat larger but not
overwhelming number rather strongly oppose doing that. And the third and far
away largest group are those who just wish the whole issue would go away."
The letter from Bishop Sheridan will undoubtedly intensify the debate,
partly because it sounds in places like a political endorsement, Catholic
observers said.
Bishop Sheridan wrote that the November elections were "critical" because
for the first time since the Roe v. Wade decision by the Supreme Court
legalizing abortion in 1973, the number of abortions was declining.
"We cannot allow the progress that has been made to be reversed by a
pro-abortion president, Senate or House of Representatives," the bishop wrote.
Opposition to abortion "trumps all other issues," he wrote, and gay
marriage is "deviancy."
Bishop Sheridan was appointed last year to lead the small diocese with
120,000 members in Colorado Springs, a conservative city where dozens of
evangelical Christian ministries are based.
In the interview, the bishop said that his aim was to clarify the
standards for Catholic voters and that he hoped they applied them in their
choice of candidates. He said that on the "basic moral teachings of the
church,'' there is no "wiggle room."
He also said he hoped to reform the "cafeteria Catholics" who believed it
was acceptable to pick and choose the doctrines they agreed with.
"I pray for them, but it could very well mean they're going to go their
own way,'' he said. "You never like to see it, but it happens."
The bishop wrote that Catholics who vote contrary to church teaching
"jeopardize their salvation."
He said they would be denied communion "until they have recanted their
positions and been reconciled with God and the church in the sacrament of
penance."
Chester Gillis, a professor of theology at Georgetown, predicted that some
Catholics would recoil at the notion that their votes would "threaten the
perdition of their eternal soul."
Dr. Gillis said of Bishop Sheridan's order, "It might backfire because
Catholics may resent what some may consider the intrusion of the church into
politics."
He added that many Catholics still associated the current set of bishops
with the clergy sexual abuse scandal. "This may strike many Catholics as an odd
time for bishops to be asserting their moral authority," he said.
Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company | Home | Privacy Policy | Search
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<TD vAlign=3Dtop align=3Dleft><IMG alt=3D"The New York Times" =
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<H5>May 14, 2004</H5><NYT_HEADLINE version=3D"1.0" type=3D" ">
<H2>Bishop Would Deny Rite for Defiant Catholic=20
Voters</H2></NYT_HEADLINE><NYT_BYLINE version=3D"1.0" type=3D" =
"><FONT=20
size=3D-1><STRONG>By LAURIE =
GOODSTEIN</STRONG></FONT><BR></NYT_BYLINE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 align=3Dright border=3D0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><NYT_TEXT>
<P><IMG height=3D33 alt=3DT=20
src=3D"http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/dropcap/t.gif" =
width=3D29=20
align=3Dleft border=3D0>he Roman Catholic bishop of Colorado =
Springs has=20
issued a pastoral letter saying that American Catholics should not =
receive=20
communion if they vote for politicians who defy church teaching by =
supporting abortion rights, same-sex marriage, euthanasia or =
stem-cell=20
research.</P>
<P>Several bishops in the United States have warned that they will =
deny=20
communion to Catholic politicians who fail to stand with the =
church, but=20
Bishop Michael J. Sheridan of Colorado Springs is believed to be =
the first=20
to say he will extend the ban to Catholic voters.</P>
<P>"Anyone who professes the Catholic faith with his lips while at =
the=20
same time publicly supporting legislation or candidates that defy =
God's=20
law makes a mockery of that faith and belies his identity as a =
Catholic,"=20
Bishop Sheridan wrote.</P>
<P>In a telephone interview, the bishop said: "I'm not making a =
political=20
statement. I'm making a statement about church teaching."</P>
<P>Since voting is a private act, there would be no way for the =
bishop or=20
a priest to know whether to give communion. Catholics believe that =
those=20
who know they are in the church's good graces may present =
themselves for=20
communion.</P>
<P>Bishop Sheridan's order, published in his diocesan newspaper on =
May 5=20
and applying only to Catholics in his diocese, comes at a time =
when=20
bishops across the country have issued a spate of conflicting =
directives=20
on whether to discipline errant Catholic politicians. The dispute =
has=20
intensified as the bishops debate whether to make an example of =
<ALT-CODE=20
idsrc=3D"nyt-per-pol" value=3D"Kerry, John F" />Senator John Kerry =
of=20
Massachusetts, the probable Democratic candidate for president and =
a=20
Catholic who has consistently favored abortion rights.</P>
<P>Several cardinals and bishops have said they would rather try =
to=20
persuade disobedient politicians in private talks than to threaten =
them=20
with public sanctions. </P>
<P>Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington, who is heading a=20
committee studying how bishops should relate to Catholic =
politicians, said=20
Thursday in his archdiocesan newspaper that he did not favor using =
the=20
eucharist as a "sanction."</P>
<P>Cardinal McCarrick wrote, "I do not favor a confrontation at =
the altar=20
rail with the sacred body of the Lord Jesus in my hand."</P>
<P>Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles told the National =
Catholic=20
Reporter in Rome on Thursday that Mr. Kerry would be welcome to =
receive=20
communion in the Los Angeles archdiocese. Cardinal Mahony had a =
private=20
meeting with Mr. Kerry on May 5.</P>
<P>The committee of bishops headed by Cardinal McCarrick is not =
expected=20
to issue recommendations until after the presidential election. =
</P>
<P>In the absence of a unified national position, individual =
bishops are=20
producing widely diverging directives, causing widespread =
confusion, said=20
Russell Shaw, Washington correspondent for the Catholic =
publication Our=20
Sunday Visitor and a former spokesman for the bishops.</P>
<P>"There's probably a rather small number of bishops who are =
strongly in=20
favor of denying communion," Mr. Shaw said. "Probably a somewhat =
larger=20
but not overwhelming number rather strongly oppose doing that. And =
the=20
third and far away largest group are those who just wish the whole =
issue=20
would go away." </P>
<P>The letter from Bishop Sheridan will undoubtedly intensify the =
debate,=20
partly because it sounds in places like a political endorsement, =
Catholic=20
observers said. </P>
<P>Bishop Sheridan wrote that the November elections were =
"critical"=20
because for the first time since the Roe v. Wade decision by the =
Supreme=20
Court legalizing abortion in 1973, the number of abortions was =
declining.=20
</P>
<P>"We cannot allow the progress that has been made to be reversed =
by a=20
pro-abortion president, Senate or House of Representatives," the =
bishop=20
wrote.</P>
<P>Opposition to abortion "trumps all other issues," he wrote, and =
gay=20
marriage is "deviancy." </P>
<P>Bishop Sheridan was appointed last year to lead the small =
diocese with=20
120,000 members in Colorado Springs, a conservative city where =
dozens of=20
evangelical Christian ministries are based.</P>
<P>In the interview, the bishop said that his aim was to clarify =
the=20
standards for Catholic voters and that he hoped they applied them =
in their=20
choice of candidates. He said that on the "basic moral teachings =
of the=20
church,'' there is no "wiggle room." </P>
<P>He also said he hoped to reform the "cafeteria Catholics" who =
believed=20
it was acceptable to pick and choose the doctrines they agreed =
with.</P>
<P>"I pray for them, but it could very well mean they're going to =
go their=20
own way,'' he said. "You never like to see it, but it happens." =
</P>
<P>The bishop wrote that Catholics who vote contrary to church =
teaching=20
"jeopardize their salvation." </P>
<P>He said they would be denied communion "until they have =
recanted their=20
positions and been reconciled with God and the church in the =
sacrament of=20
penance." </P>
<P>Chester Gillis, a professor of theology at Georgetown, =
predicted that=20
some Catholics would recoil at the notion that their votes would =
"threaten=20
the perdition of their eternal soul."</P>
<P>Dr. Gillis said of Bishop Sheridan's order, "It might backfire =
because=20
Catholics may resent what some may consider the intrusion of the =
church=20
into politics."</P>
<P>He added that many Catholics still associated the current set =
of=20
bishops with the clergy sexual abuse scandal. "This may strike =
many=20
Catholics as an odd time for bishops to be asserting their moral=20
authority," he said. </P></NYT_TEXT><BR>
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