Conference of Catholic Bishops approves Communion document without singling out politicians

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

BREAKING: The document on the meaning of Communion, the first approved by the body in 15 years, was prompted in part by the election of President Biden, an observant Catholic, who supports abortion rights. This story will be updated.

BALTIMORE — U.S. Catholic bishops Wednesday overwhelmingly passed their first document in 15 years on the meaning of Communion, emphasizing in the text the “special responsibility” of Catholic public figures to shape their own views based on “the Church’s faith and moral law.” The document did not mention politicians who support abortion rights or single out abortion in particular.

The vote was 222 in favor, eight opposed and three abstaining. The vote came at the annual fall meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the first time the hundreds of clerics are meeting in person in two years, because of the pandemic. While bishops were voting on other issues, including passing guidelines on socially responsible investing and picking new leaders for various committees, the most-watched effort by far has been their decision to write, debate and pass guidelines on Communion, the core rite of Catholic worship.

They passed the document after several failed efforts by bishops to amend it. Some wanted to emphasize more the importance of obedience, or of the scandal of public figures who depart from church teaching. Others wanted to explicitly add the poor and human trafficking victims to lists in the document of the vulnerable. The bishops moved along quickly and applauded at length after its passage.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2021/11/17/catholic-bishops-communion-vote-biden/

---

Full headline: Conference of Catholic Bishops approves Communion document without singling out politicians who back abortion rights

[Ray Bruns]

1. shape their own views based on "the Church's faith and moral law.

Does that Faith and moral law extend to the kiddie didlers in their ranks.

When do the Bishops get to the document condemning that and the enablers that let this go on for decades?

[mountain grammy]

3. Yes, when?

[cstanleytech]

8. About when hell freezes over and needs to import ice skates.

[mountain grammy]

12. Yep..

and it's been going on for centuries, not decades, and abortion was accepted.

[olegramps]

15. Did that apply when they sentenced women to death for witchcraft?

The Pope issued a document in which after listing the most ridiculous charges that have ever been made attributing virtually every natural disaster to the work of witches he declared that to not believe in witches was a serious offense. How many died as a result. The trails were in the thousands, estimates range from 300,000 to over a million as the mania spread throughout Europe and even spread to America continent.

[SledDriver]

2. This was my first thought as well

[ITower68]

4. One of the reasons I left the Catholic Church long ago

The moral hypocrisy of trying to exclude people for being Democrats while covering up their own pedophilia scandals en masse.

[Marthe48]

5. The Great Earth Mother doesn't need more children

I hope humans find other ways to fulfill their natural imperative.

[mwooldri]

6. As a member of the Church of England...

... and the wider Anglican Communion... Our Book of Common Prayer (1662) states that the Church of Rome has erred in their manner of living and ceremonies - and also of faith. I think that says it all. Though there is a lot of things that Anglicans and Roman Catholics share and believe there's plenty that separate us. Maybe the US Catholic bishops can get closer to the Anglicans by acknowledging that there is a separation between Church and State - and that Joe Biden believes in the Constitution of the United States of America almost as much as he believes in the Bible - the Constitution says "yes" to women's reproductive rights and Joe agrees with this. (As do I). Jesus stated this separation of Church and State himself by stating one needs to render to Caesar what is done to Caesar - and what is due to God to God.

TL;DR - Catholic Bishops get it wrong. Again.

[pnwmom]

9. Please spare us the sanctimony from a church formed so King Henry could get a divorce

and wrest control of Catholic assets, after proclaiming himself head of the church of England.

[orangecrush]

7. This goes back to Reagan

And his alliance with John Paul 2.

John Paul 2 installed most of these far right loonies.

[olegramps]

16. The Catholic Church's future died with John XXIII.

He attempted to pull the church out of the Dark Ages. Most Catholics don't even know that for example that he formed a committee to examine the churches teachings on birth control. The committee was composed of laity and clergy. The clergy were only allowed to vote and voted to reverse the churches condemnation of contraception. Unfortunately, he died before vote was taken and the conservatives rejected the findings. He was also examining the requirement of celibacy for priests. It is unfortunate that few Catholics know what was taking place. But reason prevailed and millions voted with their feet; especially the nuns who left in droves.

[orangecrush]

17. Thanks

This is interesting.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. There's a huge gulf (or should be) between regarding something as sin, and legislating against it

Catholics regard adultery as sin (and religious or not, most would regard it as a serious breaking of a solemn promise to someone, and therefore a moral wrong), but they don't push for it to be illegal, or for the state to make it difficult. Abortion could be seen in the same way, and I think Catholic politicians who are pro-choice see it like that.

Law is not your opportunity to force your own moral outlook on everyone; it should be about justice and fairness. I'm glad the push to get Catholic politicians to put Catholic doctrine into secular law has been rebuffed.

[TlalocW]

11. Sounds like the right decision if I'm reading it right but...

Still, it's just adorable that the Catholic Church thinks it has any platform to dictate morals to the rest of us as long as they continue to do nothing about kid-fuckers.

TlalocW

[kimbutgar]

13. This is why I am no longer a practicing Catholic

The Catholic Church has become political and out of touch with it congregants.

I remember my Catholic priest telling me I needed to go back and beg forgiveness with my now ex husband who mentally and physically abused me when I was young. I remember looking at him and thinking I’m done with being a Catholic. I remarried a Lutheran and we’re still married 30+ years later. Then I heard of all these pedophile priests who abused boys and said something is wrong with men being” celibate” and dictating marriage when they’ve never been married.

[twodogsbarking]

14. I won't say anything to degrade the church.

They are taking care of that without me.