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Story of the day:
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MCCARRICK-POLITICS Apr-27-2004 (880 words) xxxi
Cardinal seeks study of major issues, not telling people how to vote
By John Thavis
Catholic News Service
ROME (CNS) -- When church leaders speak out about major issues like abortion during an election campaign, they are not telling people how to vote, Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington said.
Instead, they are encouraging Catholics to study the candidates' positions on a wide range of questions and weigh them all very carefully, Cardinal McCarrick said in an interview with Catholic News Service April 27.
Life issues like abortion and euthanasia come first because "without life, you cannot have any other human values," the cardinal said.
But the church is not a single-issue institution, he said.
"One (issue) may be primary, but there are many issues that have to be considered. There are probably people who are with us on one issue but against us on many other issues. All these things have to be weighed very carefully -- without giving anybody any direction on how they should vote," he said.
Cardinal McCarrick spoke four days after a Vatican official, Cardinal Francis Arinze, made headlines around the world when he said that Catholic politicians who were unambiguously pro-abortion should not be given Communion. He was presenting a new Vatican document on Eucharist-related abuses.
Cardinal Arinze's remarks were read by many as a reference to Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the probable Democratic nominee for U.S. president and a supporter of legalized abortion, who has continued to receive Communion.
Cardinal McCarrick, in Rome with several other U.S. bishops on their "ad limina" visits required of heads of dioceses every five years, discussed the issue April 27 with Cardinal Arinze, the head of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. Cardinal Arinze seemed surprised that his remarks had caused a political stir, Cardinal McCarrick said.
"He made it clear that where he stands is what the document said. The document goes so far, and no further," Cardinal McCarrick said.
The Vatican document said that "anyone who is conscious of grave sin should not celebrate or receive the body of the Lord without prior sacramental confession, except for grave reason." It did not speak about withholding the Eucharist as a sanction.
Cardinal McCarrick said that while church law foresees situations in which Communion should be denied interpreting the law is a delicate question.
"I think the canons (church law) sort of remind us that we have to tell our people that if they are not in communion with the church, they should not go and receive Communion. But that doesn't say to us that we should deny them Communion when they come," he said.
"I would be very uncomfortable to have a confrontation at the altar, because it implies that I know precisely what's in a man's heart or in a woman's heart, and I'm not always sure," he said.
Cardinal McCarrick said his approach to Catholic politicians who clearly oppose important church teachings is to make sure they know what the church teaches, keep dialogue open, and let them know that "if they are taking a public stand there will be some sanctions of a certain nature."
In that situation, the church should find "some way of saying to our people that this is not an ideal situation," he said.
But that does not mean singling out political candidates, he said.
"To the best of my knowledge, no one is talking about anyone in particular. And certainly in the United States we're not talking about anyone in particular. We're talking about a genus of people, a group of people, who may be Catholic and who may not be accepting of the teaching of the church," he said.
Cardinal McCarrick met privately with Kerry in mid-April. He said the encounter lasted nearly an hour and was "a good meeting, a meeting where we discussed many things." He declined to elaborate, saying that when he meets someone "as a priest" he does not think it appropriate to give details.
Cardinal McCarrick heads a task force established by the U.S. bishops to discuss issues related to Catholic participation in political life. It is addressing, among other things, the question of reception of the sacraments by politicians whose positions contradict church teaching.
The cardinal said the Vatican has shown interest in the task force, which expects to complete its work after the presidential election this year.
"I think it's important that we be on the same wavelength, and I think we are," he said of his Vatican meetings.
He said any differences that arise among bishop members of the task force on some of the thorny issues involved will prove a healthy thing in the end.
"We may not reach a consensus on everything. But I think we will reach a consensus on some practices," he said. He said it was not yet certain whether the task force would draft guidelines or simply suggest "best practices."
"It certainly will do deep consultation among the bishops of our country, among the different episcopal conferences all over the world, and certainly here at the Holy See," he said.
"And having done that we'll be talking to theologians and pastoral people and to each other, trying to come up with something which will be helpful to the church, to our Catholic people and to people in political life," he said.
END
Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service.
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