No Communion for Pro-Choice Politicians and Their Supporters

God and Pope Paul VI Discuss This Papal Threat

A Dialogue written by Raymond Fontaine - June 2004

    Last evening, I read two essays in the May 24, 2004 issues of Time and Newsweek. Both predict the fallout of this showdown at the Communion rail. This threatening outcome troubled my mind, first impeding sleep and later inducing a dream.

   In the opening scene, God was walking with Pope Paul VI buried in 1978. "Good morning, Paul," God said. "It's good to see you again hale and hearty. Have you read the morning news about the conflict between promoting abortion and receiving Communion?"

   "Yes," Paul replied, "I see that the archbishop of St. Louis has threatened to deny Communion to the pro-choice Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry."

   "Going a step further," said God," the archbishops of Newark, N.J. and Colorado Springs, Colo. have declared that any Catholic who supports and votes for a pro-choice politician should not take Communion."

   "To avoid this public embarrassment," Paul said "the pro-choice Governor of New Jersey declared that he will no longer receive Communion as a Catholic."

    "What has caused this brouhaha about pro-choice politicians and Communion?" asked God. "The Pope's  position against abortion is well known. In his Catechism of the Catholic Church" he has clearly stated, 'From its conception, the child has the right to life. Abortion is a criminal practice, gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life.' Elsewhere, Pope John Paul II reminds everyone that excommunication prohibits receiving Communion."

    "In the past," said Paul, "the Pope never explicitly warned politicians against allowing women to get abortions on demand. On November 21, 2002, however, the Pope approved and ordered the publication of a document regarding the participation of Catholics in political life. It states: 'those who are directly involved in lawmaking bodies have a grave and clear obligation to oppose any law that attacks human life. For them, as for every Catholic, it is impossible to promote such laws or to vote for them'."

   "But that was written in 2002," said God, "why the furor only now?"

   "This year," said Paul, "the Vatican has authorized the publication of a Web page (www.vote.catholic.com.) entitled Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics. This guide is now a pamphlet that the Churches are distributing throughout the United States."

   "That voter's guide," asked God, "what does it say about pro-choice politicians?

   "It says," answered Paul, "that, regarding a law permitting abortions, it is never licit to obey it, or to take part in a propaganda campaign in favor of such a law, or to vote for it. Moreover, candidates who endorse or promote abortion should be considered to have disqualified themselves from holding public office, and you should not vote for them."

    "That puts John Kerry on the spot", said God. "He has declared himself pro-choice. If he holds his ground, he will lose the vote of very many Catholics who will blindly obey the Church. But if John Kerry suddenly turns pro-life, he will lose a lot of votes for his flip-flop under papal duress." 

    "In both scenarios, John Kerry will lose," said Paul, "but the greatest loser will be the Catholic Church. This happened before. Years ago, when I condemned all artificial birth control and stuck to my guns, many Catholics lost faith in me. At first they simply ignored my prohibition; then very many lost faith in the Church and left. History will now repeat itself. Many Catholics will first ignore the Pope's injunction about abortions and have them whenever needed. They will disregard his directive to vote against pro-choice politicians. In time, they will lose faith in the Church and leave for good."

    "I know," said God, "that many frustrated Catholics will shop around for a Christian Church that is mute about birth control and abortion and pro-choice politicians. But an increasing number of Catholics abandoning the Church will retain their intimate relationship with God relying solely on what nature reveals about me - my existence and intelligence. Farewell for now, Paul, I must run off. But I will see you again soon." 

    At that moment, the telephone interrupted my sleep. I arose refreshed. Sipping coffee, I walked in my garden among the flowers. I saw a hummingbird hover over a yellow rose sipping nectar. Meanwhile a rabbit nibbled the green grass. For them and for all beings on earth, I whispered 'alleluia' to our common Creator.   For the index of my Dialogues, click here.