Cardinal Ratzinger letter to the U.S. bishops, on refusing Communion to pro-abortionists and those in obstinate sin

Cardinal Ratzinger's letter to the U.S. bishops, that they must refuse Holy Communion to pro-abortionists and those in obstinate sin...

"When a man has stepped over the threshold and allowed himself to fall into mortal sin, he must be purified by trial, but he must also, My children, be purified by the rule of penance and confession.
"What manner of evil is being set now upon mankind that compels him to lose his soul by rejecting the Sacraments, by no longer confessing to his confessor, but coming to receive My Son in sacrifice, while his soul is degraded by sin of mortal nature!" - Our Lady of the Roses, September 7, 1976

Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion. General Principles

by Joseph Ratzinger

1. Presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion should be a conscious decision, based on a reasoned judgement regarding one’s worthiness to do so, according to the Church’s objective criteria, asking such questions as: “Am I in full communion with the Catholic Church? Am I guilty of grave sin? Have I incurred a penalty (e.g. excommunication, interdict) that forbids me to receive Holy Communion? Have I prepared myself by fasting for at least an hour?” The practice of indiscriminately presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion, merely as a consequence of being present at Mass, is an abuse that must be corrected (cf. Instruction “Redemptionis Sacramentum,” nos. 81, 83).

2. The Church teaches that abortion or euthanasia is a grave sin. The Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, with reference to judicial decisions or civil laws that authorise or promote abortion or euthanasia, states that there is a “grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection. [...] In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to ‘take part in a propaganda campaign in favour of such a law or vote for it’” (no. 73). Christians have a “grave obligation of conscience not to cooperate formally in practices which, even if permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to God’s law. Indeed, from the moral standpoint, it is never licit to cooperate formally in evil. [...] This cooperation can never be justified either by invoking respect for the freedom of others or by appealing to the fact that civil law permits it or requires it” (no. 74).

3. Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.

4. Apart from an individuals’s judgement about his worthiness to present himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, the minister of Holy Communion may find himself in the situation where he must refuse to distribute Holy Communion to someone, such as in cases of a declared excommunication, a declared interdict, or an obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin (cf. can. 915).

5. Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.

6. When “these precautionary measures have not had their effect or in which they were not possible,” and the person in question, with obstinate persistence, still presents himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, “the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it” (cf. Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Declaration “Holy Communion and Divorced, Civilly Remarried Catholics” [2002], nos. 3-4). This decision, properly speaking, is not a sanction or a penalty. Nor is the minister of Holy Communion passing judgement on the person’s subjective guilt, but rather is reacting to the person’s public unworthiness to receive Holy Communion due to an objective situation of sin.

[N.B. A Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for Holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate’s permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia. When a Catholic does not share a candidate’s stand in favour of abortion and/or euthanasia, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation, which can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons.]

"We do not want a separation within My Son's House, the Roman Catholic Church under Peter and now Pope Paul VI. We do not want a separation within My Son's House. The United States of America heads fast to a schism. Fight, My children; do not give in to the forces of evil. Fight the enemy with prayer." - Our Lady of the Roses, May 29, 1976

The awesome Bayside Prophecies... http://www.tldm.org/Bayside/default.htm
These prophecies came from Jesus, Mary, and the saints to Veronica Lueken at Bayside, NY, from 1968 to 1995:

THE UNITED STATES WILL SUFFER
“For that reason among many, the United States will suffer unless there is placed into your government a group that fears the Lord if they cannot love the Lord. They will fear Him and find measures to stop the slaughter of the unborn.” – Our Lady, April 14, 1984

SIN OF OMISSION
"The sin of omission shall condemn many to hell, be they layman or Hierarchy. I repeat: not the sin of commission, but the sin of omission will commit many to hell. Among them there will be also mitres." - Our Lady, October 6, 1980

THE UNITED STATES SHALL BE FIRST STRUCK
"One of the reasons the Eternal Father chose your city and your state for My appearance was because of abortion, the murder of the holy innocents. Your nation, without repentance, shall be the first struck." - Our Lady, March 15, 1978

THE UNITED STATES SHALL FALL
"How can a great country like the United States fall, you say, My child? You ask Me in your heart. I read your heart. I will tell you why. Because they have given themselves over to satan. When a country has lost its morality and seeks the pleasures of the flesh, giving over, themselves over, to all manner of abominations, like homosexuality, and condoning this up the highest courts of the land, then that country shall fall." - Our Lady of the Roses, November 1, 1985

DOCTORS
"Doctors now are profaning their profession, those who have given themselves over to destroying human life in abortions." - Jesus, June 6, 1987

FOULEST OF DEEDS
"Our hearts are torn because of the wanton murder of the young by evil man. Abortion, My children, is murder, the most foulest of deeds, that is punishable by death! And what is worse than death of the soul?
"I say unto you, as your Mother, that any man or woman who performs or takes part of this abomination of the murder of the unborn shall be given a heavy penance upon earth, or if this penance is not given upon earth, that person found guilty in the eyes of his God shall suffer eternal damnation in the fires of hell." - Our Lady, December 28, 1976

DESTROYED
"All who become part of or condone abortion, the murder of the young, shall be destroyed!" - Jesus, June 2, 1979

HUMAN LIFE IS SACRED
"The Eternal Father command that you stop these murders at once! You will not destroy the lives of the unborn. Human life is sacred in the eyes of your God. No man has the right to destroy a life. The Father, He sends this life to you, and only He will decide when it will return back to the Kingdom.
"Do not, My children, be deceived by the words of the evil ones about you who cry to you of no space left for man. There is space, for My Father has a plan for every life He sends." - Our Lady, August 5, 1971

WILL NEVER BE CONDONED
"You will remember, My children and My child, to guard the young. Your clergy have fallen into darkness. Abortion will never be condoned. But We must have others who fervently will go forward and bring out to the minds of those who have actually seduced the country and the children--bring them the knowledge of Heaven, hell and purgatory. Then they will not have free license to sin." - Our Lady, May 28, 1983

GOVERNMENT
"For that one reason among many, the United States will suffer unless there is placed into your government a group that fears the Lord if they cannot love the Lord. They will fear Him and find measures to stop the slaughter of the unborn." - Our Lady, April 14, 1984

NUNS
"That is what makes My heart ache, My child. That is one of the reasons Theresa is crying constantly when she looks into the convents and sees what is going on. Many now believe in abortion, the murders of the children; and many have committed this act upon themselves." - Jesus, October 1, 1988

SIXTY MILLION
"I say this for this reason: the Eternal Father is much disturbed at the numbers of abortions being committed throughout your country and the world. These numbers go upwards to fifty to sixty million in one year throughout the world." - Our Lady, June 18, 1986

TREATED AS GARBAGE
"O My child, My tears fall upon you all when I see all of the innocent little babies being slaughtered . . . cast into garbage pails like nothing but dirt and scum. They are living human beings! And all murderers shall get their just recompense." - Our Lady, March 18, 1983

BOMBS IN THE UNITED STATES
"These interlopers upon the serenity of the United States have dark skins.... With their plans there will be bombs placed in strategic places and many shall die at the hands of these ruffians....
"One big reason for permitting this disaster in New York would be the abortion mills throughout the city and the country." - Jesus, October 1, 1988

HOLY SPIRIT
"At the time of conception, the Holy Spirit makes the child, and the breath of the Almighty gives it life." - Our Lady, June 18, 1991

LIMBO
"And what, My children, are We going to do with all the aborted babies? O My child, I know you feel as I do, for I can see the great distress on your face. What are We going to do, My child? Do you understand when they come to Us, they must go to Limbo? They are in Heaven, a happy place, but they cannot see God." - Our Lady, October 2, 1987

SORROWFULLY
"Sorrowfully, the penance that is to come upon the world for the murders of the unborn shall be a chastisement far greater in severity than man has ever witnessed in the past nor ever shall pass through again. Your world is plunging into a deep chasm of suffering and destruction." - Our Lady, May 20, 1978

OATH
"Your once loyal to the oath of a doctor, your once loyal doctors are now butchers! For money they kill the young!" - Our Lady, February 10, 1978

WOE TO THE WOMAN
"Know, My child, this simple lesson, that in these days of the latter times, women will seek to cast off their role as mother and a woman. Women will cast it off under the direction of satan, and murder her children. Woe to the woman who does not repent of this vile abomination! She has walked the road to eternal damnation and hell. Repent, O woman, or forever be lost!" - Our Lady, March 18, 1975

Directives from Heaven... http://www.tldm.org/directives/directives.htm

D23 - Abortion PDF
D142 - Sin of Omission PDF
D146 - Honor the Eucharist, Part 1 PDF
D147 - Honor the Eucharist, Part 2 PDF
D186 - Excommunication PDF

Articles...

Archbishop Chaput sees pro-abortion Communion scandal as needed "moment of truth"
http://www.tldm.org/News6/Chaput2.htm

Cardinal George says no Communion for gay protesters
http://www.tldm.org/news6/CardinalGeorge.htm

Vatican warns Catholic pro-abortion politicians not to receive Holy Communion
http://www.tldm.org/news6/vaticanwarnsjohnkerrynocommunion.htm

Congressman Hyde is on the U.S. bishops' case
http://www.tldm.org/news6/Hyde.htm

Cardinal Ratzinger says public figures who dissent from Church teachings should not receive Holy Communion
http://www.tldm.org/news6/Ratzinger.htm

Archbishop Burke: more profoundly sorrowful would be a bishop who failed "to safeguard the worthy reception of Communion"
http://www.tldm.org/news6/Burke2.htm

Archbishop Pell: people who reject Church teaching not entitled to Holy Communion
http://www.tldm.org/News4/Pell.htm

U.S. bishops non-decision in Denver on pro-abortion politicians and Communion widens Catholic divide
http://www.tldm.org/News7/schism.htm

Vatican warns pro-abortion politicians not to receive Holy Communion
http://www.tldm.org/news6/vaticanwarnsjohnkerrynocommunion.htm

Bishop Sheridan will deny Communion to Catholics who vote pro-abortion
http://www.tldm.org/news6/Sheridan.htm

Bishop Wenski calls pro-abortion Catholics who demand to receive Communion "boorish and sacrilegious"
http://www.tldm.org/News6/Wenski.htm

Vatican document repeats Church teaching: Catholics must be free of grave sin to receive Holy Communion
http://www.tldm.org/news6/receptionofcommunion.htm

Sacrilegious Communion and the U.S. bishops
http://www.tldm.org/News6/sacrilege.htm

Congressman Hyde is on the U.S. bishops' case
http://www.tldm.org/news6/Hyde.htm

Our Lady says Senator Ted Kennedy must defend his Catholic Faith or be condemned
http://www.tldm.org/News6/Kennedy.htm

Separation of Church and State: "a fatal theory"
http://www.tldm.org/News6/separation.htm

Catholics who vote pro-abortion commit a mortal sin
http://www.tldm.org/News6/VotingPro-ChoiceJohnKerry.htm

Links...

Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, the new 'John Fisher': Archbishop Burke is disappointed that Cardinal McCarrick and Bishop Gregory withheld Cardinal Ratzinger's Memo at the Denver meeting, Barbara Kralis, August 5, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040805

Cardinal Ratzinger said, "The minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it." He did not say 'could,' or 'may,' but that he "must," Barbara Kralis, July 6, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040706

Prohibition is worthless without enforcement Barbara Kralis, June 8, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040624

Is not murder just as evil as lust in the eyes of God? Barbara Kralis, June 8, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040607

Ten questions regarding the denial of the Eucharist, Barbara Kralis, May 24, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040524

183 Catholic bishops lost in the Rockies, American Life League
http://www.all.org/crusade/rockies.pdf

Your Eminence, what is there is study? WorldNetDaily, July 7, 2004
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=39314

McCarrick to Kerry: Carry on, American Spectator, April 16, 2004
http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=6441

Deadly dozen Senators, Newsmax, January 22, 2003
http://www.newsmax.com/showinsidecover.shtml?a=2003/1/22/112244

Kerry takes Communion amid controversy, New York Post, April 12, 2004
http://nypost.com/news/nationalnews/22584.htm

John Kerry's abortion position causes Easter Church conflict, Lifenews.com, April 5, 2004
http://www.lifenews.com/nat424.html

What matters most for Senator Kerry: receiving Communion or collecting cash? Newsmax, April 6, 2004
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/4/6/94845.shtml

Moral duties concerning voting, Fr. Steven F. Turraco
http://www.ewtn.com/vote/brief_catechism.htm

Sin to vote for pro-abortion politicians? Fr. Matthew Habiger, HLI
http://www.ewtn.com/library/ISSUES/SINTOVOT.HTM

Fr. Pavone thanks Bishops for election guidance
http://www.priestsforlife.org/pressreleases/00-10-25bpsstmts.htm

Bulletin inserts on political responsibility (Priests for Life website)
http://www.priestsforlife.org/government/polresinserts.htm

Bishops of Massachusetts on the "Absolute Centrality" of the Defense of Life as an Election Issue
http://www.priestsforlife.org/magisterium/bishops/masscitizens.htm

"The ballot and the right to life," Bishop James C. Timlin
http://www.priestsforlife.org/magisterium/bishops/timlin2000.htm

Kerry scolds Vatican on gay marriage, AP, August 1, 2003
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/6438435.htm

No puppet of Pope, Kerry says, New York Daily News, March 29, 2004
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/178336p-155087c.html

Silence won't work any longer, WorldNetDaily, March 31, 2004
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=37829

We encourage everyone to print or email copies of this web page to all the Bishops and all the clergy. Also, send this page to as many people as possible.

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