The Catholic Confererence of Bishops has promulgated a new set of guidelines regarding consequences for certain political behavior. A Colorado Springs bishop has said Catholics who support abortion rights should not receive communion. The Conference of Bishops decided to build on the Colorado policy by defining more specifically what a Catholic can and cannot do. What follows is a summary of the Canon Pontificus:
Principato Uno: Catholics must not vote for candidates who support abortion, stem cell research, pre-martial sex, out-of-wedlock weddings, blasphemy, intra-religious and intra-racial marriages, pedophilia, meat-on-Fridays, impure thoughts, condom use (even for HIV-AIDS), and mendacity of all kinds.
Principata Secundo: The Church leaves it up to the conscience of the faithful whether he or she wants to vote for politicians who support war, the arms race, the death penalty, inequtible laws, and financial policies that place power, money and influence in the hands of a few.
Doctrinato Ex Cathedra: The Holy See is emphatic about the faithful's obligation to follow in fact and in spirit the details in Principato Uno. The Catholic faithful should consider these words as received doctrine and equivalent to Canon Law. Therefore, anyone who disobeys these doctrines places himself or herself outside of the comfort of Holy Mother the Church.
Caveat Emptor: Every parish is instructed to read this doctrine to the faithful and mail a copy to the faithful's homes in the form of an affifidavit. The faithful will sign this document stating they are fully aware of Canon Pontificus and will abide by its terms, under threat of ex-communication. The faithful will inform the local prelate (in the Confessional) in advance of voting what his intention are. His prelate is empowered to deny the faithful absolution if he plans to vote in a manner deleterious to Mother Church. In short, if the faithful consciously and willfully disregards the infallible, God-given wisdon of the Church, She cannot be responsible for the salvation of the faithful's soul.
Canon Pontificus is the Church's response to the moral relativism that is sweeping the Western world, especially Europe and America. The Holy See reminds the faithful there is such a thing as absolute evil and it is the Church's intention to protect its Flock from these mortal dangers. In the name of Christ the Clergy will not be a passive witness to His Blessed Church rotting from the outside in.
Posted by Chuck at May 20, 2004 05:10 PM | TrackBack