Don’t rush the debate on Communion, politicians and abortion
Against the Republican Bishops plan to win the political game against the Democrats by scoring touchdowns against Democratic politicians, Pope Francis has just moved the goalposts outside the stadium.
Of course he can say that he did not do that personally. However his Jesuit head of the Congregation on the Doctrine of the Faith obviously regards his position as a mandate from the Pope under the Jesuit's vow of personal obedience to any mission of the Pope. And as a Jesuit he is required to have total unanimity with his superior by manifesting any doubts he might have about how to proceed in this mission.
1. The bishops are preparing a document which will require two-thirds approval by the bishops plus Rome before it becomes policy for all the bishops. Essentially the CDF has made it clear that near unanimity will be required for approval by Rome, i.e. this must unite all the bishops. When Ratzinger was head of the CDF under JP2 he gutted the authority of bishop conferences by maintaining that they could only teach as the college of bishops by unanimous vote. The CDF is regarding this document as more of a doctrinal than a disciplinary document.
2. The deliberations about this must be conducted in a serene manner. Francis has made clear that synodal government is not a parliament but rather a discernment of the will of the Holy Spirit. Yes there will be differences of opinion. These must be honestly faced. But they must find a way that transcends the differences to bring about unity. He declined to implement the recommendations of the Synod of the Amazon on married priests and women deacons even though they had the required number of votes precisely because they polarized rather than brought about unity.
3. The deliberations must involve actual personal dialogue with Catholic politicians. The bishops must understand why Catholic politicians are pro-choice and what understanding they have of the Church's teaching. The CDF letter calls them pro-choice rather than the bishops favorite word pro-abortion. In other words, the bishops cannot deny communion to a straw man.
4. The document cannot apply just to politicians but must apply to all the faithful. While most of the bishops might be willing to have some other bishop confront a politician, and many might be willing to do it themselves, few are going to be willing to confront Catholic Democrats in the parishes. Those could retaliate to even the possibility by withholding their financial support. Is not going to happen.
5. The document cannot apply just to abortion but must include other issues that disqualify people from communion. What are they? Evidently more than life issues like euthanasia and the death penalty. What are the chances that the bishops would agree on what these might be. Probably zero.
6. The bishops must consult with other bishops conferences around the world and get their No Objections.. Now that might not be difficult if the document was just about abortion and just about politicians. But are other bishops conferences around the world going to agree to including laity and a bunch of other issues. Again zero chance.
With this long road ahead are the bishops going to be willing in June to approve by majority vote the development of a document to be presented to them in November.? Before this document most people thought they would. Now it is up for grabs. since the CDF has raised all these additional requirements for ultimate success.
Commentary -
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/distinctly-catholic/vatican-throws-wet-blanket-us-bishops-who-want-deny-biden-communion
I did read that piece by MSW. As he pointed out, there is a major difference between something being "a preeminent priority" and "the preeminent priority". It distorts teaching when you laser-focus on one issue, and don't focus on equally important ones.
DeleteThe split between the Uber- conservative American bishops and Rome, and the one between Rome ( the CDF) and the liberals in the German church are interesting to watch. Most countries’ bishops, at least in Europe, don’t involve themselves in the abortion wars at all, nor contraception. Ireland’s bishops lobbied fiercely against legalizing abortion there and lost very badly in the popular referendum. The European bishops, like the American bishops, have been mostly unsuccessful in their campaigns against legalizing gay marriage.
DeleteWill the Germans lead a new reformation? Will Francis be more bold if Benedict dies while he is still pope? Will there be a schism on either side of the Atlantic?
Or will the church in the US just continue shrinking until it’s at the barely perceptible level of active Catholic that is the reality in most of Western Europe? (The American bishops seem determined to get rid of every Catholic who doesn’t share their views) Or will the German bishops bring about an internal reformation this time, rather than create another branch of formerly RC church?