Grassroots Catholic Leaders Oppose Bishops’ Drive to Deny Biden Communion
For immediate release:
U. S. bishops are “overidentified” with one political party, captive to the culture wars, say lay-led Catholic groups at news conference
On the eve of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Spring Assembly, the leaders of four grassroots Roman Catholic organizations called on Catholic bishops to stop acting like culture warriors and political operatives and start behaving like shepherds and healers. Watch a recording of the video news conference held yesterday.
At the assembly, bishops will discuss whether to increase pressure on prelates to deny Holy Communion to President Joseph R. Biden and other prominent Catholics who support abortion rights and equal treatment under the law for LGBTQ+ people.
The grassroots leaders took issue with the drive to deny Biden Communion and other aspects of the bishops’ political agenda.
“The church’s sacraments should never be used to coerce actions,” said Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of DignityUSA, a group that works for justice, equality and full inclusion of LGBTQI people in church and society. “Pope Francis has stated that the Eucharist ‘is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.’ … It is wrong to weaponize sacraments, especially Eucharist.”
The bishops’ conference is “overidentified with one party, ignoring gross ethical violations by Republicans while cracking down on doctrinal differences by Democrats, like President Biden,” she added. “This is very dangerous, undermining the purpose, community, and ministerial effectiveness of our church.
Jamie L. Manson, president of Catholics for Choice, urged the bishops to recall that their church believes in “a preferential option for the poor, which states that caring for the well-being of the most disadvantaged must be our first priority.
“Access to abortion care is deeply intertwined with and exacerbated by systemic racism, economic insecurity and immigration status. For these reasons, Catholics like Mr. Biden, who have a strong commitment to social justice and human dignity, believe in protecting abortion access.”
Duddy-Burke noted that it was possible the U. S. Supreme Court would issue its decision in the closely watched case of Fulton v. City of Philadelphia during the bishops’ conference. In that case, Catholic Social Services has asserted a right to be awarded government contracts to provide adoption and foster care services despite its intent to discriminate against LGBTQI couples.
“We know that same-sex couples are seven times more likely than opposite-sex couples to be raising foster or adoptive children, and same-sex parents are more likely to care for children of color, sibling groups, kids with special needs, or older, harder to place children,” Duddy-Burke said. “With over 440,000 children in foster care across the country, and 120,000 waiting for adoption, denying any qualified adult willing to open their homes and hearts seems to clearly undermine public policy goals.”
The mother of two adopted children, Duddy-Burke and her wife applied first to adopt through Catholic Social Services in Massachusetts, and, although she was a lifelong Catholic, she was turned down.
Deborah Rose-Milavec, co-director of FutureChurch, which works for greater openness and collaboration in church structures, noted the bishops’ hard line against government support for LGBTQI people has led them to oppose reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
“Because VAWA now includes provisions explicitly protecting people in same-sex relationships, the USCCB is working to undermine it,” she said. “While they admit VAWA strengthens protections against domestic violence and human trafficking, they continue to withhold their support. When victims of domestic violence ask for bread, the bishops offer stones.”
The same holds true for the USCCB’s opposition to the National Suicide Hotline, Rose-Milavec said. “The USCCB stood in opposition to funding for the National Suicide Hotline because it included funding for outreach to the LGBTQ+ community, especially queer youth, who are especially prone to suicidal thoughts and attempts.”
Glenn Northern, domestic programs director for Catholics for Choice, said the bishops’ silence in some instances is more chilling than their words. “Where were your voices as our communities sought healthcare including reproductive health care in order to take ourselves and our families during a pandemic?” he asked. “Where are the bishops’ voices as civil and voting rights are stripped from Black and Brown communities? When did political expediency and partisanship supplant genuine listening, concern and care for community?”
Kate McElwee, executive director of the Women’s Ordination Conference, also noted that missing from the bishops’ meeting agenda are gun violence, climate change, racism, income inequality, and gender-based violence. At a time when the country and the world are wrestling with these existential issues, “culture war projects are not just a distraction from bigger issues, but amount to a kind of pastoral negligence,” she said.
Watch a recording of the video conference.
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Contact: Jim Naughton
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