“This is how you do it…”
Thus says from my Li’l Bro Thom (no Bush-lover, he) who very much appreciated seeing President Bush not receive communion while attending a Catholic mass.
Non-Catholics and Catholics who have not yet gone through the process of formally receiving the sacrament of reconciliation and their first communion, but who wish to “participate” in that part of the Mass are invited to process to the minister dispensing the Holy Eucharist with their hands crossed upon their chest (not a humiliation, but a practical measure, so that there may be no confusion on the priest’s part that they are NOT receiving the Eucharist), whereupon the priest will simply touch his hand to their head and ask God’s blessing upon them. Here we see President and Mrs. Bush doing it the way we ask it to be done, and believe me we surely appreciate and honor their respectfulness.
That “arrogant” president, Bush, did Catholics the world over honor when he respected our ways.
And here we see how a Non-catholic disrespectfully communes at Mass:
Bill Clinton, obviously. A Southern Baptist with a penchant for carrying around big bibles took communion during a Roman Catholic Mass in Africa in 1998. When New York’s Cardinal John O’ Connor, doing his job, called Clinton on it, he was told that his (Cardinal John O’ Connor’s) understanding was deficient. “They do things differently in Africa,” was the answer from the Clinton administration. When pressed on the fact that even the African Bishops Conference complained about it, things devolved into “well, we understood it this way…”
The transcript: Clinton Press Sec’y Mike McCurry and the press (all boldface emphasis added – admin)
Q: …as you know, Cardinal O’Connor had some very strong things to say yesterday about the President’s taking of communion. In that light, I wanted to ask you three things. One, the Cardinal suggested that no one should take communion who’s not in a state of grace. Did the President feel he was in a state of grace, one? Two, does he regret taking communion? And three, the White House suggested it had contact with officials at the church who thought it appropriate but the pastor has said he was not one of them. Can you give us some names of who said it was okay?
MCCURRY: …our team on the ground indicated that the conference of bishops in South Africa had a more ecumenical view of the holy eucharist and had advised members of the traveling party it was appropriate for baptized Christians to share in communion. And the President acted on that guidance…And that includes the priest, and I thought also the bishop who officiated as well, is my understanding, but we can double check that.
[...]
Q: It’s a question about what the Cardinal is saying.MCCURRY: Cardinal O’Connor may not be familiar with the doctrinal attitude towards the holy eucharist that the conference of bishops in South Africa brings to that question.
Q: The South African bishops have apparently now criticized the minister for having offered communion to the President or permitted him to take it. Does the White House have any reaction?
MCCURRY: I’m not aware of that. That’s contrary to the guidance that the President and his traveling delegation were given at the time of the service.
Q: Well, apparently they say he was supposed to have asked the local bishop for permission before permitting the President to take communion.
MCCURRY: Our understanding was that the invitation was extended on behalf of the Conference of South African Bishops.
Q: Mike, can you be specific about who extended it?
MCCURRY: I can find out if our advance people have got any idea who they spoke with.
Q: As I understand it, only Catholics are supposed to receive Catholic communion. Did that come up in the President’s mind?
MCCURRY: That is the attitude and posture of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, but our understanding is that the Conference of Bishops in South Africa have a different view of holy communion.
All so very vague, all so very arrogant…”someone told us…this was indicated…I’ll have to see if we know any names…” and “I’m not aware of that,” which seems to mean “that can’t be true…” It was all so very typical of that president and his administration which never admitted a mistake (not even one time.) And boy, the press sure hates the Bush administration for not “admitting to mistakes…”. But different presidents, different letters after the name…they get treated differently, after all.
But you know, I don’t think I ever heard the besotted press call Clinton arrogant. “Not even one time.”
I’m frankly surprised to see that the issue came up at all, but then John O’ Connor was mighty, mighty – an enormous and heroic presence – and no one to be simply dismissed. Sadly, his successor – who hides out in his seat and keeps his mouth shut – seems to be a self-protective, aching void of a man. And we in NY feel the void keenly. I miss Cardinal O’ Connor.
For doing his job, Cardinal O’ Connor was also, apparently, targeted by the Clinton White House for surveillance.
This huge Clinton surveillance scheme was VAAPCON, the Violence Against Abortion Providers Task Force. According to the U.S. Justice Department, VAAPCON “was charged with determining whether there was a nationwide conspiracy to commit acts of violence against reproductive health care providers.” The more than 900 targets of all this surveillance included the Christian Coalition…the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, and even then-Roman Catholic Cardinal of New York John O’Connor.
[...]
So if you were close to the late Cardinal O’Connor, or called him to discuss personal or family problems – even personal sins – to him, you may have been wiretapped and recorded by the Clinton’s VAAPCON surveillance. In that sense, the Clinton administration may have literally bugged the confessional.
That’s stretching it a bit, but the fact remains that America’s formost prelate seemed to pay a price for asking the president to just, you know…act respectable.
John Cardinal O’ Connor, Priest, Patriot, Veteran and Holy Man – pray for us.
Junkyardblog tells of seeing someone trying to snatch a host (Good reason to go back to reception-by-mouth only, in my book)
And here is a really great Communion at the Altar-rail story concerning…Robert E. Lee!
WELCOME: readers of The Corner and Closed Cafeteria. While you’re here, please look around. Today we’re also talking about how Bush Hatred May Have Just Jumped the Shark, the staggering Incuriosity of the Press, how the word “fascist” is only objectionable when used by the right and what fascism really is these days.
The diferences between GW and Bill Clinton grow wider with every minute. Not surprising that GW comes out looking better and better.
Thanks, Ma’am. I’d forgotten the flap over Clinton’s actions.
What a contrast between the two presidents.
In the Maronite Church, everyone crosses their arms when receiving. The priest knows not to offer us the host; if I’m on the deacon’s side, we just say “not Catholic” – which is pretty unambiguous. We would never dream of taking it under false pretenses – not only out of respect for the Catholic Church, but just out of plain old fear of indoor lightning strikes! If one takes it seriously enough to want it, one’s not gpong to take it incorrectly.
That is so wonderful. That is good Epsicopal upbringing also. I have a neighbor that when she cannot go to the neighboring town for Espiscopal Services she attends our local Catholic Church. She does the same at each communion service. Also I must say that Clinton knew better. Arkansas has a big Catholic population in parts of it and he knew what was proper. Again quite a contrast
I agree with you all. The arrogance of that man knows no boundaries and he is one of the few people to whom I’d give the cut direct.
I pray that Cardinal O’Connor’s heroic virtue is recognised someday soon. He was the kind of leader we need in our Church now.
Interesting. The Orthodox approach the chalice with arms folded, just as above, when communing.
When at an Orthodox church, do not approach if you are not Orthodox, and do not approach if you are Orthodox but do not know the priest and have not been to confession.
This post needs to be framed.
You know what I mean.
Really, really sublime- like Rod Steiger in The Pawnbroker.
Since other churches have a communion service with wafers and wine (or grape juice) I was not aware of the procedures that a non Catholic was expected to follow in a Catholic Church, but I am very happy to hear that GWB was aware of them, and followed them correctly. I respect all other faiths, and believe that we should always comport ourselves by doing things correctly according to their procedures.
Pleased by Bush’s actions. Jeb is a catholic convert, no?
Not suprised by Clinton’s actions, but are Kerry or a handful of the Kennedy’s any better fit for communion?
I think this is a pattern on the left.
Like the women that “ordained” themselves catholic priests, the left says “you can’t tell anyone what they should or shouldn’t do” while they are busy telling everyone else what they should or should not be doing.
I blame the Catholics. Look, it’s our rule, and the burden of knowing our rules and being able to explain them falls on us. I blame McCurrey for not apologizing, but as he describes it, they did due diligence, and honestly believed that what they were doing was ok. And apparently the African priest who screwed it up was disciplined.
As for the surveillance, well, as long as they weren’t monitoring any Islamofascist terrorists, there’s no problem, right? (Or at least that’s what the NYT told me to think…)
Thank you for posting this. I was unaware of it until I saw it here.
Hello! I’m new to your blog and appreciate your viewpoint on things.
“I blame the Catholics.”
Oh, I don’t. It’s inevitable, if the church relaxes its principles on communion and more or less anyone who approaches may commune, as Rome has done. How, after all, would the priest know if someone were or were not Catholic? Perhaps one of the most ignored, yet important, differences between East and West is what the East perceives to be a lax, disrespectful approach to communion, where there is no mandatory fast, no mandatory confession, and the priest does not address the communicant by name.
Does anyone know which Church the President and Mrs. Bush were at when they approached the Communion rail?