I'm in the freezing press room at the Sheraton New York, waiting for Benedict to appear at Park East Synagogue. I thought I'd run a photo from yesterday's Nationals Stadium Mass furnished by Tom McFadden, director of admissions at Christendom College in Front Royal. He trained his camera on three prominent Catholic Democrats: Sens. John Kerry, Ted Kennedy and Chris Dodd, who had excellent seats right on the playing field. All are known as "pro-choice" Dems.
He was curious as to whom would receive Communion and who would not, as there is much debate among Catholics as to whether pro-choice politicians should receive the Eucharist at all. Some say canon law forbids them to receive it and all that local bishops need do is enforce it.
Well, there was no enforcing yesterday. You can see Kerry taking Communion in the photo. So did Dodd. But Kennedy did not. Interesting, no?
After the service, the transportation company responsible for ferrying some 20,000-30,000 attendees back to their buses at JFK stadium kept people waiting at least 2 1/2 hours, I was told by Jim Allison, a parishioner at St. Clare's in Gainesville. Finally, he said, a DC police officer took pity on the waiting multitudes and requisitioned some Metro buses to take them back. There were only 160 shuttle buses, he said, although at least 250 were needed to help the folks who lived too far out to take advantage of Metro.
The public aren't the only folks being kept waiting during the B-16 Tour. Those of us reporting on this adventure have to report to duty six hours or more before the event. For instance, for a 4:30 p.m. Saturday event at St. Joseph's seminary in Yonkers, I have to present myself at the media center at 10 a.m. Once we are put in place — often in a media bubble with no access to either the pope or the people he has come to see, we just sit there. Being that all the media are thoroughly vetted by the Secret Service beforehand, we wonder why we have to 1. show up so early at the venues and 2. be x-rayed at all, especially the reporters who, unlike the photographers, don't get withing 50 feet of the pope. Back in the good old days of John Paul's 1987 tour, we sat within 20 feet of the stage and had no grinding security sweeps to endure.
— Julia Duin, assistant national editor/religion, The Washington Times
Comments (2)
I am not a very religious person, but I do try and live a moral life. What your witnessing is the hypocrisy of being a Catholic in today's "me first" American, and on a larger scale, Western society. Just like Virginia's Governor Tim Kaine, a Catholic reportedly of deep faith, he abandoned his faith and moral beliefs to become Governor by declaring he would exercise secular executive power to enforce the death penalty in Virginia even though as a matter of faith, he personally opposed it. I would respect and support him had he said I can not in conscience support the death penalty because of my deeply held belief and religious upbringing that it is an unjust penalty contrary to my beliefs as a Catholic. He may not have been voted in as governor, but I believe he would have been a righteous man deserving of all the adulation's heaven can provide when he leaves this mortal world. Politicians should acquaint themselves with the concepts of lawful and moral decision making applied by military personnel in the conduct of their daily lives; all American military personnel are bound by an oath to follow the orders of the President and those appointed over them UNLESS those orders are illegal OR immoral. Clearly, Catholic politicians of faith must view certain socially acceptable legal practices as immoral and have a personal responsibility, an obligation, to reject them on the principal of that faith. To do otherwise diminishes their true Christian faith and makes a mockery of the church, and its doctrine. Clergy who acquiesce by omission the legislative conduct of Catholic politicians and serve Communion offend the church and God. If you believe in God, you must believe that immoral conduct will offend him and as such you can loose your immortal soul. To that end, I believe that a Catholic Priest who panders to politicians and departs from his sacred duties to protect the faith and church from scandal is equally as guilty of immoral conduct as the "fair weather" politician who ignores or selectively renounces his or her faith to garner political favor by their legislative support for social issues that offend God. I believe that a Priest that knowingly serves the sacrament of Communion to that politician insults his Catholic faith, his church and God, thus risks the loss of his mortal soul as well.
Posted by Alan Quartararo | April 19, 2008 9:30 AM
Alan, your anger is understandable but unjustified. No priest offering communion is generally obliged to judge the worthiness of anyone presenting himself to recieve it. The exception would be a public declaration by the communicant at the very time of communion of something directly in conflict with the teaching of the Church. (Aside: I would consider the wearing of a "freedom of choice" sash or badge at communion to be just such a declaration of the communicant's contrary belief.) In the absence of a contrary declaration, each communicant is obliged to judge for himself whether he is worthy to receive communion. In this regard, perhaps Sen. Kennedy is more righteous than Sens. Kerry or Dodd. God is the only just judge.
BTW, I'm troubled by your use of the expression "serve" communion. You didn't learn that in a catechism class from any sister that I know. It is a distinctly Protestant usage. Are you a convert? Or are you, perhaps, an imposter, given your self-qualification as a not a very religious person?
Posted by Bill Daugherty | April 19, 2008 11:28 PM