I should not get Communion.
I have opinions that are not consistent with Catholic views. Despite this, I go to mass twice a week, ask for repentance and pray for my family. As the U.S. Catholic bishops draft a document to determine if Catholic politicians, such as President Joe Biden, should be denied the sacrament of the Eucharist because of their views on abortion rights, it is worth considering where this line gets drawn.
Understandably, access to abortion is a contentious issue among American Catholics. But it is not unique among the decisions facing Catholic legislators, both in local government and in Washington D.C.
In recent years and in various administrations, we have seen immigration numbers restricted. But Jesus said, “I was a stranger and you invited me in” (Matthew 25:35). By defying Jesus’ decree, and discounting his own history as a refugee, should Catholic members of Congress who have voted against the entry of asylum seekers to the United States be denied the Eucharist?
Correspondingly, when a Catholic White House press secretary falsely describes an inauguration as being “the largest audience to ever witness an Inauguration, period”, do we deny him Communion and remind him that “telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax” (Proverbs 25:1).
Jesus told his virtuous peers that “the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Matthew 21:31), suggesting a tolerance and even a favoritism for those who have lived overtly immoral lives. Catholic missionaries have spent centuries reaching out to those who are ostracized in our world, including prisoners of all types. In this setting, outcasts are encouraged to accept the sacrament of the Eucharist and to dedicate their lives to righteousness, as Jesus taught.
Distinguishing between the expectations that our faith presents us with, and the reality of everyday life is a universal challenge. For politicians it becomes more complex. It has been more than 60 years since President John F. Kennedy said, “I do not speak for my church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me.”
Abortion introduces its own level of complexity. However, excluding those who are politically pro-choice from church sacraments does not draw more people into an inclusive church. Pope Francis himself has stated that “pastors are to avoid judgements that do not take into account the complexity of various situations” (Amoris Laetitia).
If U.S. Catholic bishops believe that President Biden has truly drifted from the Catechism, engaging with his administration to provide input on how best to help the poor, the meek, and the merciful would be beneficial. Afterall, Jesus came “not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).
John J. Ryan, M.D.
John J. Ryan, M.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine, and director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Comprehensive Care Center, at the University of Utah.
