The Politics of the Eucharist
.... an interesting collection of thoughts from Jeremy's blog
The Politics of the Eucharist
Lately, there has been much talk in the Catholic church about whether Catholic pro-choice politicians and those that support them should be permitted to receive the Eucharist. Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister writes of the strange standards that exist in the Church when it comes to honouring human life:
Abortion is the only life question that the Catholic church does not nuance - never, ever, in any situation, accepts as morally plausible. No one has ever suggested, for instance, that we deny communion to those who kill for the state. Or who kill in self-defense. Or who sign the judgment that sends a person to the electric chair. Or even pulls the lever that sends a bolt of current through the wrong body in a state penitentiary. Or who sign bills authorizing the building of bigger and better nuclear bombs that threaten the life of a whole world.
The question is why, if fetal life is invaluable, why not all life? When is life valuable and when is it not in this kind of theology? And why?
It's a very good question. Chittister continues by pointing out that excluding politicians from the Eucharist is unscriptural. It seems that most bishops recognize this as well. Only 4 out of 137 bishops surveyed in the United States said that they would feel comfortable excluding anyone from the Eucharist. She continues:
And that position, it seems - if Jesus is still any kind of model for us at all, smacks most of Christianity, of Jesus, of the Christ life we are told we ourselves are to live.
Jesus excluded no one.
The crowd of 5,000 sitting in the noonday sun at the foot of the mountain had to pass no public political litmus test to receive the loaves and fishes.
Peter, the one whom Jesus "knew would betray him," not only stayed at the Last Supper but became the very head of the church.
The Roman soldier, the tax collector, the Good Thief, the Canaanites, the Samaritans, the woman taken in adultery, the lepers, the lame, and the blind - at a time when sickness was thought to be punishment for sin - were all received whole-heartedly by Jesus. All of them were social, political and moral outcasts. But they were never shunned, never humiliated, never condemned publicly by Jesus.
Who are we to do otherwise?