Pharisees Among Us

I remember during the 2004 presidential campaign some Catholic bishops raised the issue of abortion in their homilies and proposed denying the sacrament of the Eucharist (Communion) ot those leaders who did not oppose choice.  They maintained that the Church's position on the issue was inviolable and Catholic legislators were obliged to adhere to that position.  The Catholic instruction I received stressed that the Holy Eucharist is central to our faith, as it is the present-day sharing of the Last Supper with Jesus and the apostles.  The Communion host (bread) IS the body of Christ, so when we place it on our tongues, we are accepting Christ as our Lord and Saviour.  Any clergy that denies the congregant this sacrament is therefore blaspheming the very essence of Catholic Christian teaching, and its' significance outweighs what is, after all, a political issue.  Whatever your personal stance on abortion may be,  the Catholic Church is a human institution that must not deny worshipers the right to share in the Spirit.