I have many concerns over Roman Catholic theology. I am not a member of the Roman Catholic Church as I believe some of her theology is contrary to Scripture. That said, while I reject the Roman church, I nonetheless consider Conservative Roman Catholics as cobelligerents in our culture wars. I am grateful for the battle they rage against the demonic godlessness perforating every sphere of American society.
Roman Catholic church deserves a standing ovation from those of us on the Protestant side of the Tiber river in the recent decision by the archbishop over San Francisco to deny Nancy Pelosi the Eucharist.
“On Friday, Salvatore Cordileone denied Pelosi communion, based on her stance when it comes to abortion rights. In a letter to the Democrat, Cordileone wrote that ‘should you not publicly repudiate your advocacy for abortion “rights” or else refrain from referring to your Catholic faith in public and receiving Holy Communion, I would have no choice but to make a declaration, in keeping with canon 915, that you are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.’”
–Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone
Though this decision is exactly right, many on the Left have protested it. I have read many takes akin to Whoopi Goldberg’s, wherein she claimed that communion is for sinners, and that Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone does not have the right to make this decision for Speaker Pelosi.
“This is not your job, dude! You can’t — that is not up to you to make that decision. You know, what is the saying? It’s kind of amazing. But, you know, what is the point of communion, right? It’s for sinners. It’s for sinners. It’s the reward of saints, but the bread of sinners. How dare you?”
–Actress Whoopi Goldberg
This sentiment, shared by many, is wrong on many fronts.
For starters, the Roman Catholic church is an organized church with dogmas, rules, catechisms, and bylaws. The idea that that the authorities within the church do not have the right to enforce its own laws and teachings is absolutely ludicrous.
The Roman church is very clear on abortion. The onus is not on the Roman Church to hypocritically ignore its own morality and rules so that politicians can pick and choose their religious opinions like a doctrine buffet. The onus is actually on Nancy Pelosi (and many of her colleagues) to stop being hypocrites and conform to the teachings of the church of which they claim to be members.
If Pelosi disagrees with the Roman Church’s stance on murdering babies, one they have held for centuries, then she needs to stop affiliating herself with the church and find one which will accommodate her wickedness. The Roman Catholic Church absolutely has the authority to discipline members for rebelling against the doctrine and practices of the church.
On a more foundational level, it is also beneficial to dissuade any assumptions that the Bible has a “come as you are” approach to the Lord’s Supper. Simply put, the Eucharist is not for everyone (contra Goldberg).
“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”
1 Corinthians 11:27-32
While we could martial many more texts for a full, systematic treatment of the Supper, let this one suffice to prove that the Supper is not no holds barred.
There are unworthy ways to partake, and those unworthy should not participate. In fact, we actually see that policing the table is a mercy to the unworthy since their participation would heap judgment upon them. It is out of love that the wicked like Pelosi are kept from the sacrament.
Additionally, not only are some unworthy of the Table, but unrepentant sinners are to be excommunicated from the church altogether.
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.
When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord… I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you.’”
(1 Corinthians 5:1-5; 9-13)
We see now how unbiblical Goldberg’s contention is that everyone ought to be allowed in full communion with any Christian church no matter how they live or what they think. Out of love, for the sake of people’s souls, unrepentant sinners are not only removed from communion, but the church as a whole.
The Roman church did right by Pelosi. We can only hope this begins a wave of consistency so that many of her colleagues who enjoy the privileges of the Roman church while advocating for infanticide will be disciplined in like manner.
Categories: Resisting the Winds
The Conservative New Mexican 