In April 1962, Archbishop Joseph Rummel of New Orleans not only denied Communion to three Catholics in his archdiocese; he formally excommunicated the three, who vehemently opposed his efforts to desegregate Catholic schools.
Sacraments
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis appoints Korean bishop to head the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy
The appointment of Bishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik as the new prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy is another major surprise in the Francis papacy.
Posted inFaith, News Analysis
Boris Johnson had every right to be married in the Catholic Church.
While the optics of Boris Johnson’s marriage in a Catholic church this weekend suggest a double standard, in fact the church seems to be treating him the same it would any divorced Catholic seeking to remarry.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Are some bishops ‘politicizing’ the Eucharist? Yes, in a perfectly sound, pastoral way.
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and others are acting for the good of souls. As a last resort, they propose denying Communion to people who persistently and publicly promote the grave evil of legal abortion.
Posted inFaith, Jesuit School Spotlight
The Jesuit High School in Florida that welcomed 22 teenagers into the Catholic church this year.
The sacraments took place within two socially distanced school Masses on May 13 and 14.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
No one can win the Communion wars over abortion
Even in the exceedingly unlikely event that every bishop miraculously agreed on how to approach the question of Communion and abortion, it still would not resolve the political question of abortion in favor of the Catholic position.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Bishop McElroy: The Eucharist is being weaponized for political ends. This must not happen.
The proposal to exclude pro-choice Catholic politicians from the Eucharist will bring tremendously destructive consequences—not because of what it says about abortion, but because of what it says about the Eucharist.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Celebrating the Eucharist with Daniel Berrigan: ‘A Communion I will never forget’
On the fifth anniversary of the death of Daniel Berrigan, S.J., a close friend and colleague looks back on a poignant moment in their work together.
Posted inFaith, News
Archbishop Cordileone in new pastoral letter: Those who reject teaching on abortion should not receive Communion
A pastoral letter issued May 1 by San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone focuses on the unborn, Communion and Catholics in public life.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Whatever happened to Confession? And is it time to go back?
The question remains alive today, perhaps even more so after a year of living through the Covid-19 pandemic. But today it might be rephrased as two different questions for two different audiences: “How shall one go to confession now?” and “Why go to confession at all?”