OFFICIAL: All Cafeteria Catholics Barred From Communion

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The Cafeteria is OFFICIALLY closed! That's what the US Catholic bishops said today in their vote to approve the document "'Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper': On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist." From now on, Catholics who reject (or disagree with) the Church's moral teachings on such things as abortion, euthanasia, contraception, gay-marriage, etc., are expected to refrain from receiving communion. Such action, though not a formal excommunication, does imply that the dissenter is no longer in communion with the Church. The moral teachings of the Church are a core part of the Catholic Christian faith. Failure to adhere to them is no different than ascribing to other forms of heresy. This means that the US Catholic bishops have OFFICIALLY barred all Catholics (including Catholic politicians) from receiving communion if they disagree with the Church on moral issues such as abortion, euthanasia, contraception, gay-marriage, etc. The statement reflects a directive from the Vatican issued by Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) under the previous Pope John Paul II. The party is over folks. Cafeteria Catholics have got some real soul searching to do. For them, only three options remain now...

1. Seriously reflect on why they dissent on certain Catholic moral teaching, and try to conform to the Church's expectations.
2. Continue to dissent, and abstain from communion, knowing their standing in the Church is compromised.
3. Compound the problem, by receiving communion anyway, in direct violation of the bishops orders -- a mortal sin.

Beyond that, the only other option is to leave the Catholic Church entirely, either for a more liberal church (like the ECUSA) or else live as non-practicing (or lapsed) Catholics. Whatever the case, some tough decisions lay ahead for many in the Church. For Cafeteria Catholics anyway, judgement day has come...

Serious sin a bar to receiving Communion, bishops say in new document

By Nancy Frazier O'Brien
Catholic News Service

BALTIMORE (CNS) -- Emphasizing that they were addressing all Catholics, and not just politicians or any other group, the U.S. bishops Nov. 14 voted in favor of a document calling on those in a state of serious sin to refrain from receiving Communion. The vote was 201-24, with two abstentions.

An effort to amend the document to specifically name politicians as among those who need to examine their consciences before receiving the Eucharist failed on a voice vote.

Titled "'Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper': On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist," the document says that a Catholic who "knowingly and obstinately" rejects "the defined doctrines of the church" or repudiates "her definitive teaching on moral issues" would not be in communion with the church and therefore should not receive Communion.

"All kinds of people don't understand their responsibilities when going to the Eucharist," said Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli of Paterson, N.J., chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Doctrine. His committee prepared the document because of a request in November 2004 by Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark, N.J., for a statement on how Catholics should prepare to receive the Eucharist.

read full story here

read the bishop's statement here (.pdf)