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CNS Story:
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PRIESTS-COMMUNION Oct-20-2004 (580 words) xxxn
Priests urge bishops not to deny politicians Communion over abortion
By Sam Lucero
Catholic News Service
ST. FRANCIS, Wis. (CNS) -- An organization of priests in the Milwaukee Archdiocese has urged that the U.S. bishops not refuse Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion legislation that is contrary to Catholic teaching.
The priests made the comments in a letter to Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington as head of the U.S. bishops' Task Force on Catholic Bishops and Catholic Politicians formed by the bishops' conference last fall.
"Why do we priests choose to address this issue? Simply because we would be the ones to impose the sanction of refusing people Communion or of endorsing a call for politicians to voluntarily abstain from the Eucharist," said the letter, issued by the Milwaukee Archdiocese Priests Alliance and mailed to Cardinal McCarrick Oct. 15.
Organizers of the alliance gained national attention in August 2003 when they publicly urged the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to begin discussion of optional celibacy in the Catholic priesthood.
During the bishops' general fall meeting Nov. 15-18, long after Election Day, the task force is to present a report on how bishops should deal with Catholic public officials whose policy stands contradict Catholic teachings on fundamental issues such as abortion.
In their letter, the priests reaffirmed their belief in "the intrinsic value of human life. All life is sacred to us -- from conception to natural death."
In teaching this belief, the letter stated, "our task is made easier when we proclaim the sanctity of life with consistency."
The priests expressed concern that using the Eucharist as a sanction may cause confusion among the faithful.
"It is to us that the questions about the meaning and motivation of such policies are already being directed by our parishioners and others," they wrote. "We also will deal with the divisions that may take place in our communities as 'battle lines' form on either side of this issue."
The letter to Cardinal McCarrick was approved during a meeting of the priests' alliance Sept. 30. Eighty-four members voted on the document, with 82 members voting in favor and two voting against it.
The issue was first raised by Father Steven Avella, who approached the alliance's convening board. A committee was then formed to draft a statement. The organization includes 124 diocesan and religious order priests serving in the archdiocese.
"The important thing for all of us is that we as parish priests will be responsible for implementing any directives from our bishops in this matter," said Father William Burkert, co-chair of the alliance's convening board.
"We wanted to have our voices heard," he told the Catholic Herald, Milwaukee's archdiocesan newspaper, Oct. 19. "Here are 125 priests out of 400 active priests (in the archdiocese) saying we don't want to see the Eucharist used as a weapon. We are of one mind in that regard. Rather, we would like to see it as a unifying reality."
Father Burkert, who is also pastor of St. Roman Parish in Milwaukee, said in his view, "if Jesus could share the Eucharist with Peter and Judas -- and they would both deny and betray him -- then maybe we could be as generous as Christ in extending the Eucharist."
Copies of the letter were sent to Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan and Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. Sklba of Milwaukee, and to Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of Belleville, Ill., president of the USCCB.
In addition, the priests' alliance has posted the letter on the organization's Web site at www.milwalliance.org.
END
Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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