Letters 10.10.21

Readers respond to Register articles.

Letters to the editor offer a variety of opinions.
Letters to the editor offer a variety of opinions. (photo: NCRegister.com / NCRegister.com)

Politicians and Communion

Some Catholic legislators, actively voting to support abortion, though “personally opposed,” believe they are wrongly denied the Eucharist. 

But is that true? In receiving the Eucharist, Catholics assent to belief in God, Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist and to all God’s teachings. 

The Church teaches that the destruction of an innocent life, in abortion, is a grave evil and mortal sin. In voting for its legalization and expansion, these legislators are participating in a grave moral evil and committing mortal sin, regardless of the fact that they are “personally opposed.” Public reception of the Eucharist, while publicly promoting laws against the teachings of the Church, jeopardizes their own soul, causes scandal to the faithful, and contributes to the destruction of morals in the nation. 

By their own will, they have chosen to separate themselves from communion with God and the unity within his Church (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 776). In saying, “Amen,” to “the Body of Christ,” they have, like Judas, greeted Jesus with the kiss of betrayal. 

Having denied Church teaching, one cannot presume the requisite grace to receive the Eucharist. 

Catholics in a state of mortal sin must not receive Communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance, which restores sanctifying grace and allows the Holy Spirit to help us “… conform our lives to His will” (Catechism glossary on grace). 

“[S]in weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbor (1459). The mind and reasoning become darkened.  

“…[W]isdom will not enter a deceitful soul nor dwell in a body enslaved to sin” (Wisdom 1:4). Such a person may sincerely believe he is doing good when he is not, as his discernment abilities have been compromised.  

How much better it would be for Catholics to vote in a way that our nation would be known as the shining city upon a hill. 

With the strength and charity of Christ, faithful legislators can provide the light and love necessary to form a grace-filled nation that seeks to serve God and protect its people in all its laws. We need the grace of God to choose wisely.

 We must pray that our leaders of state live their faith in truth and, like Solomon, pray for wisdom (Wisdom 9:1-6, 9-11). 

 Nadine Haines

 Medford, New Jersey

 

Dueling Motu Proprios

Pertinent to “Latin Mass Upset” (page one, Aug. 1 issue):

I find it somewhat ironic that a motu proprio (Latin for “of his own doing”) has been issued that seeks to suppress the Latin Mass. 

Are not the extraordinary and ordinary forms of the Eucharist celebration consubstantial (probably not the correct usage of the word, but, as many others, I had to refer to Webster 10 years ago)?

Seemingly dueling motu proprios (Pope Francis’ Traditionis Custodes and Pope Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum) further disrupt those of us in the pews who long for the tranquility (not complacency) and common purpose that has been missing within our Church for the past several decades. 

In her article, Judy Roberts rightfully refers to the Church’s “more problematic issues” that have caused and continue to cause the exodus of multitudes of souls from Catholicism.

Bishops and others supporting the extraordinary form have pointed to the number of younger Catholics who apparently have been drawn to that celebration, and it is good to hear — although in our senior communities we have not witnessed that encouraging news. 

We do, however, remember the communal atmosphere in the filled churches of yore, and we long for the days when homilies contain only “Good News” — after all, dignum et justum est.

 Ken Horstman

 Lakehurst, New Jersey

 

Hot Potato

The other day I saw some kids from a local school playing “hot potato,” or what seemed to be like a game we played when we were kids.

When we were young, we played a game called “hot potato.” 

We would flip a ball to a kid near us, and as soon as he had the ball, he would flip it to another kid. No kid would hold onto the ball, because the ball was considered a hot potato and treated as such. You would get rid of it as quickly as you could.

Something like that is going on today, except it’s not a game. 

It is not a hot potato, but a hot-button topic that is discarded quickly. 

When persons (be they politicians, publishers or preachers) do not want to deal with a hot-button issue like abortion, they drop it quickly or simply ignore it.

If this commentary appears in your newspaper, you know that the “preeminent” issue of abortion has not been ignored by the publishers of your newspaper — that hot potato has not been dropped.

Abortion kills human beings. Induced abortion is the direct and deliberate destruction of the most helpless members of our human family, the innocent unborn. Lord, lead us from a culture of death to a culture of life. Amen.

 Richard Carey

 Needham, Massachusetts