Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion
Sept 18, 2004
The Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, wrote an important memo in English expressly for the USCCB's use as a guideline of the Church's teachings to be used at their 'closed door' plenary Conference in Denver, June 14-19, 2004.
It would appear that Cardinal Ratzinger wanted the Bishops' Conference to issue a firm statement, sooner rather than later. In contrast, 'Task Force' committee member Bishop Joseph Galante indicated it was "unlikely that the principles would be developed prior to the November 2004 elections."
Cardinal Ratzinger, in his memorandum entitled "Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion General Principles," said without ambiguity:
"The minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it" when warning and counsel given to the manifest sinner "have not had their effect."
Let us look at what we know Cardinal Ratzinger's memo, "Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion General Principles" did say:
"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."
Paragraph #2 Cardinal Ratzinger teaches here the grave and clear obligation for Christians to oppose judicial decisions or civil laws that authorize or promote abortion or euthanasia. [8]
Paragraph #3 Cardinal Ratzinger gives the U.S. bishops clear directives that no other human rights or moral issues have the same serious moral weight as abortion and euthanasia.
Please note that #3 readily refutes those many U.S. bishops who have publicly said they would not deny the Eucharist to pro-abortion legislators because then they would have to deny also those persons who favored war, the death penalty. Ratzinger explained the church does not condemn war and the death penalty, but does condemn abortion and euthanasia.
Paragraph #4 The Cardinal teaches that the priest may find an individual's judgment about his own worthiness to receive the Eucharist to be in grave error and the priest must deny him Holy Communion, according to c.915.
Paragraph #5 Here is the Church's teaching regarding the pastor's obligation to warn the manifest sinner of his grave condition, to counsel him of the Church's teachings, and informing the sinner not to present himself for Communion until he ends the objective situation of sin and that he will be denied the Eucharist.
Paragraph # 6 Cardinal Ratzinger's memorandum instructs that the bishops, priests and deacons, as 'ministers of Holy Communion' [10] must deny the Eucharist, as the Code of Canon Law c.915 directs, to persons who have obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin. [11]
This #6 answers the question of Cardinal Francis George, [12] who, at the November 2003 bishops' Conference, asked if bishops have the right to deny anyone the Eucharist. Cd. George asked the 'Task Force' to clarify under canon law what ability a bishop has to deny manifest, obstinate, persistent sinners the Eucharist. [13]
Is Cardinal George and most of the Conference of Bishops ignorant on the understanding of Canon Law c.915?
It contains only one sentence, which is easily understood by countless others in the Church.
In a 'Nota bene,' [14] Cardinal Ratzinger's memorandum warns the bishops against allowing any Catholic to deliberately vote for candidates who were pro-abortion and/or pro-euthanasia.
Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion