Bishops and Church teaching

On one hand it is amusing to see all our federal “Catholic” politicians, plus “a political ‘science’ professor at Notre Dame University” in high dudgeon to exercise “their” religious rights (“McCollum among Catholic Democrats who say pro-choice stance shouldn’t bar them from Eucharist,” June 21, TheCatholicSpirit.com). The USCCB simply confirmed two millennia of Catholic tradition and teaching about the serious and intrinsic moral nature of abortion and the scandal it generates when political leaders, like divorced Kings and Queens of old, openly support it. On the other hand, the fact that 25% of Catholic bishops voted against such a statement speaks to the startling degree to which political preferences are vying with moral truth in current American Catholic Church leadership circles. Imagine, if leading world astronomers addressed rumors throughout the world that the sun is on the verge of going dark. They took a vote to quell the rumors by stating that, “The sun rose yesterday; the sun rose today and the sun will rise tomorrow!” only to have 25% of the astronomers and a political science professor at a reputedly august astronomy university vote to do nothing until they can form a committee and “consider” all the facts. Really?

Jim Beers
St. Joseph, Rosemount

Communion and social justice

In response to the article “Bishops vote to draft teaching document on the Eucharist,” (TheCatholicSpirit.com, June 18) I offer the following: Dear American Catholic Bishops, As you draft a “teaching document” on the Eucharist, in addition to the abortion issue, let’s be sure to deny the Eucharist to those who favor capital punishment (directly opposed to Church teachings), those who do not espouse Catholic social justice teaching, and oh yeah, those who have abused children or have covered up that abuse. Suddenly, there will be no one available to receive or distribute Communion. “Do this in memory of me,” said Jesus. This doesn’t sound like the memory of Jesus he had in mind. Jesus freely shared the first Eucharist with those he knew would betray and deny him. He fed the 5,000 on the mount and didn’t ask what their beliefs were. I think the Church needs to welcome everyone to the table.

Mike Hansel
Guardian Angels, Oakdale

Communion denial?

Dear Catholic bishops, why do you think that a negative action, denying Communion to public figures, will have a positive effect on our Church? This Church belongs to all of us. We all have a say in the Church we want to see and be in the world. I cannot imagine a Church that would single people out to humiliate them, and deny them the Body of Christ. Let you who are without sin cast the first stone. May God bless and guide you.

Nancy McLaughlin
St. Cecilia, St. Paul

Stronger stance

After the archdiocese banished our wonderful pastor to the tiny town of Miesville (bless them) for speaking out in favor of traditional marriage, we left St. Jude’s. Articles like the recent one in the Spirit, comparing the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of unborn to the execution of 17 murderers in the U.S., is grotesque (“Bishop Rhoades: There’s a great need to better understand Eucharist’s centrality,” June 24). It is what caused us to leave the St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese and seek communion with the Lord elsewhere. This explains why we have a Catholic — yes Catholic — president who presides comfortably over the murder of children in the womb and other abominations, and why the archdiocese was forced into bankruptcy. We have a Church that conveys a confused message to its congregation and hasn’t the courage to condemn, with all its might, the immorality of the current government. They are busy with eucharistic documents while Rome is burning. It sadly brings to mind the position of the Church in the Germany of the 1930s. Can we say we are followers of Christ and be certain of his blessings with such a confused and immoral stance? It is all very sad.

Jeff Palumbo
Grant, Minnesota

Assuming the best

(Re: “Christians exempt?,” Letters, June 24) Over the past 15 months we’ve been inundated with information, misinformation, government mandates, ever-changing rules, and losses of God-given rights and freedoms. Many aspects of the now in-the-past pandemic have caused division among families, friends and church communities. At this point, the data has shown that masks did not prevent the spread and that the experimental vaccines have come with many warnings and a multitude of side effects — some deadly. As Christians, we should understand that there are a host of reasons one may not “mask up” or have been vaccinated. We should respect that one another has relied on our own discernment and faith to determine what is best for our own well-being, and that of our own family. Rather than assuming that those that don’t “mask up” or get vaccinated are doing so with malicious intent, we should be showing one another grace, and remembering that our faith — and our fate — is in God, not in government.

Jennifer Witt
St. Patrick of Cedar Lake, Jordan

Too fringe

In all due respect, I take issue with the “Cuppa Joe” article of June 24 (“Joseph, virginal father of Jesus,” Focus on Faith). I never heard that “St. Joseph, (was the) virginal father of Jesus” and neither have most priests or deacons. While speculating about “who” St. Joseph is, there is very scant information about him in the Bible. Your article fails to disclose that the information comes from “elsewhere” with no consensus. As a practicing Catholic, I don’t believe it. It isn’t a contemporary issue, it does not (solidly) educate, nor does it evangelize the community. It can cause confusion. The mission of The Catholic Spirit is to foster the faithful Catholic’s education. I am grateful that my salvation does not depend on whether or not St. Joseph was virginal before he married the Blessed Mother.

Let’s stay mainline (whatever these days that is!) Regretfully, articles published in archdiocesan newspapers get creditability where no creditability is warranted.

Deacon Michael Thoennes
St. Mary, Waverly

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