Of Joe Biden and his immortal soul

The U.S. Catholic bishops have commissioned a document on the Eucharist that — after discussion, proposed amendments and vote next fall — will not bar President Biden, nor any abortion-supporting Catholic politician, from receiving Communion. That authority rests with diocesan bishops, acting individually; not national bishops’ conferences acting as a body.

Probably, the document will reiterate long-standing Catholic teaching that anyone in a state of unrepentant grave sin may not receive the Eucharist — held to be the sacred body and blood of Jesus; and that publicly, obstinately promoting the legalized mass destruction of innocent human lives constitutes such grave sin.

Nor, despite accusations to the contrary, are the bishops using the Eucharist to influence elections or legislation.

When a bishop withholds the Eucharist from a public figure, he is acting not in the temporal realm of laws and public policies, but as a spiritual shepherd, responsible for the salvation of souls. His purpose is to warn the offending Catholic against imperiling his or her immortal soul by persisting in promoting a grave moral evil; and to prevent them from jeopardizing other souls by leading them to promote the same evil. A bishop cannot be deterred by this action’s possible effect on laws and public policies, nor on public opinion or media reaction.

In 1962, New Orleans Archbishop Joseph Rummel excommunicated three prominent Catholics for publicly promoting racial segregation, hoping to make them realize that their publicly avowed racism was placing their souls in grave danger, and persuade them to renounce it. Two ultimately did so, and returned to the Church’s good graces.

Some progressive Catholics are struggling to differentiate between Rummel’s excommunication of Catholic segregationists and today’s possible denial of Communion to pro-abortion Catholic politicians.

But the only relevant differences seem to involve the issues being addressed and the Catholic politicians being affected.

Rummel’s action was then, and is today, widely popular in progressive circles and mainstream media, because those circles staunchly, and rightly, oppose racial segregation.

Similar action by today’s bishops toward Catholic politicians who promote abortion is wildly unpopular in progressive circles and mainstream media, because they overwhelmingly support legalized abortion. And it is unpopular among the Catholic left because they like the often progressive records of many pro-abortion Catholic politicians on other issues. They reduce the injustice of abortion to a single issue, and berate the bishops for prioritizing it — even as they embrace Rummel’s action.

I do not advocate withholding the Eucharist from pro-abortion Catholic politicians, and I oppose lobbying bishops to do so. Some pro-life Catholics urge the bishops to such action because they believe — incorrectly, in my view — that it will help end legalized abortion; or because they want Catholic politicians punished for their role in facilitating the killing of unborn children.

But neither of those reasons is the purpose of such action; nor is it for us as Catholic laity to judge how a bishop should exercise this authority, which is why I also oppose lobbying bishops against such action, as some Catholics do.

This awesome responsibility is entrusted to each bishop, to be invoked when deemed necessary to safeguard souls, not to punish.

It is not surprising that pro-abortion politicians, activists and media would misunderstand or willfully mischaracterize the bishops’ intent.

No faithful Catholic should join in doing so.

This guest essay reflects the views of Rick Hinshaw, former editor of The Long Island Catholic.