Comment made after Carney attends Mass featuring pro-life sermon
Paul Tuns:
The head of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has endorsed denying Holy Communion to Catholic pro-abortion politicians like Prime Minister Mark Carney.
During an April 11 interview with EWTN, Bishop William McGrattan, president of the CCCB, said pro-abortion politicians should not receive the Eucharist.
Days earlier, Prime Minister Mark Carney, received the Eucharist at St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Ottawa despite his public support for abortion.
Bishop McGrattan told EWTN, “I would say that someone who is in politics and claims to be living according to their faith and making such statements, we see the disconnect, and this is unfortunate with many of our politicians.”
The bishop said, “I think that those pastoral decisions would have to be made by the local bishop,” adding, “Those are decisions, obviously, that affect the life of the local Church and, therefore, you know, if it is in a very challenging, scandalous position, I think, then, that is the responsibility of the bishop, in a pastoral way, to confront and to challenge various politicians in that way.”
Carney was seen on a livestream receiving the Eucharist. Ottawa Archbishop Marcel Damphousse has not made any public comment about Carney presenting himself at communion.
During the livestreamed Mass, Fr. Michael El-Nacef, a visiting priest, said during his sermon, “Abortion, that’s murder.” He reminded the congregation that aiding or encouraging abortion is a mortal sin and that those who have “fallen into mortal sin” should not “receive Holy Communion” until they have gone to confession. Fr. El-Nacef also condemned euthanasia.
Despite the warning, Carney was later seen approaching the altar and receiving Communion before leaving the church without return to his pew.
The Code of Canon Law states, “Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy Communion.” Among those listed being “obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin” are pro-abortion politicians.
At the beginning of the election campaign, Carney was asked by a reporter if he would “explicitly support a woman’s right to choose” abortion to which Carney replied “absolutely.” Deferring that he would never have “drawn attention to the fact that I went to church,” he thanked the reporter for the question and added: “I absolutely support a woman’s right to choose, unreservedly, and I will defend it as the Liberal Party has defended it: proudly and consistently.”
