Over the past weekend, many thousands of people descended upon Washington, D.C., to attend the March for Life to call for an end to the Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade. The Catholic Church has always promoted the sanctity of life from the moment of conception until the moment of natural death.
There are many ways that we can promote this in our society, especially when we pray, rally and vote for politicians who uphold pro-life policies. Catholic politicians and the people who vote for them are responsible to uphold the moral teachings of the Catholic Church. If there is a Catholic politician who promotes things such as abortion, contraception and same-sex marriage, they should not present themselves to receive Communion as is stated in the Code of Canon Law, Cn. 915: “Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy Communion.”
One of the problems with admitting to holy Communion politicians who hold errant moral norms is that they cause scandal to faithful Catholics who profess and live out their lives in fidelity to the Catholic Church’s teaching. Also, they would be receiving the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin, which is a sacrilege, and therefore this action will be held against them on the day of their judgment. Pastors have the responsibility to inform their parishioners, especially those who are public servants, that the Eucharist is to be received fruitfully in a state of grace so that its effects can be realized. Repentance, confession and penance are the medicine which restores the soul to a state of grace.
