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Denver Archbishop Sees Pro-Abortion Communion Scandal as Needed 'Moment of Truth'

Claiming to be Catholic and rejecting Catholic teaching is "dishonesty" and "lack of integrity"

DENVER, May 26, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a strong and witty column in the Denver Catholic Register, Archbishop Charles Chaput writes on the growing scandal of pro-abortion politicians receiving communion. Entitled, "It's a matter of honesty: to receive Communion, we need to be in communion", the article explains, "Claiming to be Catholic and then rejecting Catholic teaching is an act of dishonesty and a lack of personal integrity. Worse, if we then receive Communion, we violate every Catholic who does believe and does strive to live the faith fully and unselfishly."

The archbishop refused to rule out denying communion saying, "Denying anyone Communion is a very grave matter. It should be reserved for extraordinary cases of public scandal." He added however, that "the Church always expects Catholics who are living in serious sin or who deny the teachings of the Church - whether they're highly visible officials or anonymous parishioners - to have the integrity to respect both the Eucharist and the faithful, and to refrain from receiving Communion.'

Commenting on the recent spate of newspaper editorials and letters from politicians excoriating Catholic bishops for even discussing denying communion to pro-abortion politicians, Archbishop Chaput said, "One of the ironies of an already strange election year is the number of non-Catholics, ex-Catholics and anti-Catholics who have developed a sudden piety about who should receive Communion and when."

Saving the best for last, the Archbishop concluded, "We're at a time for the Church in our country when some Catholics - too many - are discovering that they've gradually become non-Catholics who happen to go to Mass. That's sad and difficult, and a judgment on a generation of Catholic leadership. But it may be exactly the moment of truth the Church needs."

See the full article from the Denver diocesan paper:
http://www.archden.org/dcr/news.php?e=81&s=2&a=1976

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