Seattle, Wash., Jul 19, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Catholic politicians, who defend pro-abortion policies should refrain from receiving Communion, although ministers should not make the decision of denying Communion, said Archbishop Alexander J. Brunett of Seattle in a pastoral letter he issued recently.
“The Eucharist must never become an instrument of division,” the archbishop wrote, explaining the significance of the sacrament.
“Fundamental misunderstandings about the relationship between faith and political responsibility have led to confusion on both sides of the current debate,” he said, referring to the ongoing dispute, which is playing out in the press, about whether pro-abortion Catholic politicians should be denied Communion.
For example, said the bishop, some Catholics suggest that “those who vocally and publicly assume pro-choice positions on abortion should be expelled from the Catholic community and the Eucharist.