The bishop of Springfield, IL, has forbidden Catholic legislators who voted for the Reproductive Health Act from receiving Holy Communion in his diocese, citing penalties in Church Law for those who “persist in manifest grave sin.”
In a statement released by the Springfield diocese Thursday, Bishop Thomas Paprocki declared that “Illinois Catholic lawmakers who promoted or voted for extreme abortion legislation are not to receive Communion.”
Bishop Paprocki calls out two Catholic legislators by name, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, but extends the ban to any Catholic who voted for the bills.
“Due to their leadership roles in promoting the evil of abortion by facilitating the passage of Senate Bill 25 this legislative session and House Bill 40 in 2017, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton have been barred from receiving Holy Communion,” the statement reads.
“In addition, Illinois Catholic lawmakers who voted for either of these abortion bills are not to present themselves to receive Holy Communion,” it says.
These legislative leaders “have shown obstinate and persistent support of extreme abortion legislation,” the statement declares. “House Bill 40 legalized taxpayer funding for abortion and Senate Bill 25 makes abortion a fundamental right, allows for the killing of innocent children up to the moment of birth, and requires private insurance to pay for abortion, among other anti-life changes.”
Applause Erupts as Crowd of Over 100,000 Sees Trump on the Jumbotron at Major SEC Showdown
They Told Us Trans People Are Dying Everywhere – Turns Out the Few Deaths That There Are Decreased Under Trump
Georgia man, 18, charged with murder after dismembered human remains found in car trunk
Trump claims stunning casualty numbers in Russia-Ukraine war
Trump’s home county hits pause on data centers over environment and electric bill concerns
US, China strike deal to lower tariffs on $30B in goods after Trump-Xi Washington summit
Idaho Prop 1 Isn’t ‘Reproductive Freedom’: It’s a Vote to Kill More Babies
Incoming Democrat Rep. for NYC Arrested for Refusing to Obey Police Orders, Attempting to Get Netanyahu Arrested
Mamdani Celebrates ‘Closing’ the Budget: All He Did Was Move Some Numbers Around, and Constituents Are Still Packing for Florida
Watch: Even Murder Victim’s Family Almost Laughs as Court Plays ‘American Idol’ Killer Suspect’s Terrible Love Songs for Mistress
Dem House hopeful endorsed by activist who said ‘evil Jews run the world’
Trump revives rare budget maneuver to rescind $810M in congressionally approved funds
Illegal immigrants, 89 and 73, accused of armed drug trafficking decades after sneaking into US
Wave of overlooked ‘left-wing’ lawsuits could come with an unexpected price tag for Americans
Mistress may have handed prosecutors missing ‘why’ in ‘American Idol’ alum’s wife murder case: expert
The statement was accompanied by a formal decree, which was mailed earlier this week to those Catholic lawmakers who voted for House Bill 40/Senate Bill 25.
“To support legislation that treats babies in the womb like property, allowing for their destruction for any reason at any time, is evil,” the bishop said. “It’s my hope and prayer these lawmakers reconcile themselves to the Church so they can receive Communion.”
Bishop Paprocki, who is a canon lawyer, said that if these legislators would like to return to communion with the Church, they must seek sacramental absolution and demonstrate a “public conversion of life.”
“In view of their gravely immoral action to deprive unborn children legal protection against abortion, it must be said that any Catholic legislator who sponsored, promoted, advocated, or voted for these pro-abortion bills has acted in a seriously sinful manner unfaithful to the 2,000-year-old Christian teaching against abortion and therefore, would place themselves outside of the full communion of the Catholic Church,” the bishop said. “Such persons are not to receive Holy Communion until they have celebrated the sacrament of reconciliation and displayed a public conversion of life.”
Applause Erupts as Crowd of Over 100,000 Sees Trump on the Jumbotron at Major SEC Showdown
They Told Us Trans People Are Dying Everywhere – Turns Out the Few Deaths That There Are Decreased Under Trump
Georgia man, 18, charged with murder after dismembered human remains found in car trunk
Trump claims stunning casualty numbers in Russia-Ukraine war
Trump’s home county hits pause on data centers over environment and electric bill concerns
US, China strike deal to lower tariffs on $30B in goods after Trump-Xi Washington summit
Idaho Prop 1 Isn’t ‘Reproductive Freedom’: It’s a Vote to Kill More Babies
Incoming Democrat Rep. for NYC Arrested for Refusing to Obey Police Orders, Attempting to Get Netanyahu Arrested
Mamdani Celebrates ‘Closing’ the Budget: All He Did Was Move Some Numbers Around, and Constituents Are Still Packing for Florida
Watch: Even Murder Victim’s Family Almost Laughs as Court Plays ‘American Idol’ Killer Suspect’s Terrible Love Songs for Mistress
Dem House hopeful endorsed by activist who said ‘evil Jews run the world’
Trump revives rare budget maneuver to rescind $810M in congressionally approved funds
Illegal immigrants, 89 and 73, accused of armed drug trafficking decades after sneaking into US
Wave of overlooked ‘left-wing’ lawsuits could come with an unexpected price tag for Americans
Mistress may have handed prosecutors missing ‘why’ in ‘American Idol’ alum’s wife murder case: expert
Along with citing Canon Law, Bishop Paprocki appealed to recent statements by Pope Francis in which he compared abortion to hiring a hit man to resolve problems in life.
“I want to thank lawmakers who stood up to these barbaric pieces of legislation and voted ‘no,’ and I applaud their courage to speak the truth that the most basic right we should all enjoy, is the right to life,” Paprocki said.
Story cited here.
