Thursday, May 9, 2013

Pope Francis on the “guideline we need for this point in history.”



Pope Francis in the letter to the Argentinian Bishops says that the “guideline we need for this point in history,” is a document called the Apareceida which deals among other issues with Eucharistic coherence and is very clear that legislators cannot receive holy communion and at the same time act with deeds or words against the commandments, particularly when abortion, euthanasia, and other grave crimes against life and family are encouraged.

Paragraph 436 reads as follows:
“436: We hope that legislators, heads of government, and health professionals, conscious of the dignity of human life and of the rootedness of the family in our peoples, will defend and protect it from the abominable crimes of abortion and euthanasia; that is their responsibility. Hence, in response to government laws and provisions that are unjust in the light of faith and reason, conscientious objection should be encouraged. We must adhere to “eucharistic coherence,” that is, be conscious that they cannot receive holy communion and at the same time act with deeds or words against the commandments, particularly when abortion, euthanasia, and other grave crimes against life and family are encouraged. This responsibility weighs particularly over legislators, heads of governments, and health professionals.”

This has serious implications for Ireland’s Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who has just introduced draft abortion legislation and for all Catholic TDs who will vote on the issue.