Campaigners urge US bishops to 'stop weaponising Holy Communion', cancel anti-Biden vote

Photo by Thays Orrico on Unsplash

Source: Faithful America/Vatican News

More than 21,000 people have signed a new statement calling on Catholic bishops to cancel a planned vote on whether President Biden and other pro-choice lawmakers are fit to receive Holy Communion, scheduled for next week's meeting of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

A second, more recent petition thanks the 67 bishops who signed a letter organized by Washington Archbishop Wilton Cardinal Gregory opposing that vote, and has gathered 17,000 signatures. This petition also applauds San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy for his 'bold, prophetic op-ed' in America: The Jesuit Review, calling out the USCCB's simultaneous inaction on racism.

Both letters were launched by Faithful America, the largest online ecumenical community in the US "putting faith into action for love and social justice.

The first petition, addressed to USCCB President Archbishop Jose Gomez, states: "Pope Francis is clear that mercy, welcome, and pastoral sensitivity should be hallmarks of the church. Follow his pastoral example and listen to your brothers Cardinal Gregory and Bishop McElroy: Stop playing partisan politics with Holy Communion and cancel your planned anti-Biden vote."

Text accompanying the petition on Faithful America's website adds that the USCCB is "prioritizing cheap political points over spiritual grace," as well as "ignoring Pope Francis's advice rather than following his pastoral example."

Many Catholic members of Faithful America left comments to the USCCB with their signatures, including:

Sister Karen Donahue, RSM, Detroit, MI: "As a practicing Catholic, I am deeply saddened by the behaviour of so many of our bishops who put ideology before the Gospel. I am embarrassed that even the Vatican has had to intervene. The last place I look for moral leadership is the USCCB!"

Sister Joyce Kahle, CPPS, Dayton, OH: "Jesus didn't even deny Communion to Judas! It is wrong to single out President Biden for supporting a woman's right to choose. Our catechism says that we have a primacy of conscience and nobody has a right to judge another person's conscience. The Eucharist should never be used as a weapon!"

Jeff Agee-Aguayo, Green Bay, WI: "As a person who chose Catholicism as an adult through RCIA, this disturbs me. Focus instead on how the future of the church -- immigrants -- is being treated by the political right."

Michael Vezzali, Pacifica, CA: "As a practicing Catholic, I find it absolutely unconscionable that Communion would be weaponized in this way against President Biden. Where were these bishops during the horrors committed by the previous administration and the sickening ways it misappropriated Christianity? Thank you to Cardinal Gregory, Bishop McElroy, and others who are standing up for what is good and right."

View the Faithful America petitions here: https://act.faithfulamerica.org/sign/bishops-politicize-communion?source=med https://act.faithfulamerica.org/sign/thank-pastoral-bishops?source=med