From Lise Anglin on "Dissenting Catholics and holy Communion".

In his homily on dissenting Catholics and Holy Communion (C.I., Dec., 2003, p. 18) Father de Valk calls for patience as the Church discerns the best way to respond to an unprecedented situation. Unprecedented in particular is the enactment of depraved laws by Catholic politicians who nevertheless present themselves for Holy Communion, apparently immune to the psychological condition known as cognitive dissonance. In this, alas, they resemble bishops who suppress the teachings of Humanae vitae and yet retain episcopal office.

In any case, the general problem is not new. St. Paul went to the heart of the matter when he taught that unworthy reception of Holy Communion burdens the recipient with new guilt and increases his debt (I Cor 11:27-34). By implication, any priest who deliberately allows unworthy reception of the Sacred Host drives the sinner further away from grace. No one wins.

Blessed John Ruusbroec (1293-1381) also wrote about eligibility for receiving Holy Communion. A Flemish priest who combined soaring meditation on the spiritual life with robust appreciation of Church law, Ruusbroec inveighed against the sidestepping of Eucharistic disciplinary norms:

You should know that the Sacrament should be withheld from all who live in a state of mortal sin and follow the ways of the world in the manner of beasts, without fear, love, or reverence toward God and without obeying God, the holy Church, and the law of Christ. The same holds true in the case of those who are proud or who oppress their neighbour. Consider also the following kinds of persons: those who are wrathful, envious, cruel, and malfeasant," those who revile, curse, swear, and quarrel; those who commit usury and buy up everything without restraint; those who are sly, cunning, deceitful, and misleading.... They have fallen out of the state of God's grace and therefore no one should let them receive the Sacrament. [Emphasis added.]

--John Ruusbroec. The Spiritual Espousals and Other Works. Translated by J.A. Wiseman, O.S,B,, Paulist Press. pp. 231-2, 1985.

Ruusbroec's writings leave little doubt as to what he would have concluded concerning Catholic politicians who promote unjust laws that inflame public immorality. Yet Father de Valk is right to counsel patience. Through patient suffering, we win the grace of conversion for politicians and priests alike.

Toronto, ON