When Archbishop Eamon Martin, leader-in-waiting of the church in Ireland, mentioned the issue of excommunication during the recent abortion debate in the Dail there was consternation among politicians and frowns from some senior churchmen.
The other Archbishop Martin – Diarmuid Martin in Dublin – refused to back his northern counterpart on the issue. The Dublin Martin saw the intervention of the Armagh Martin as a tactical error: predictably, talk of excommunication led many politicians to harden their attitude, insisting they would not be dictated to by the church.
When it comes to Holy Communion, the church faces a bit of a dilemma. The sacraments are central to Catholic life and should be expressions of faith rather than gestures. At the same time, the sacraments cannot be politicised or used as a tool to punish people.
Church leaders say the the denial of Holy Communion is not designed to punish people, but where the church believes that a Catholic has dramatically strayed from its understanding of an issue like the right to life, to call people to reflect.
"Where you have a Catholic who publicly acts in a way that is inconsistent with their faith, the church calls them to correct this contradiction. You can't live under two houses," a senior canon lawyer told me this week.
The Vatican likes this image, too. "Catholic politicians cannot live under two houses when it comes to abortion. You have to take a decision but not many do," said Msgr Jacques Suaudeau from the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life.
But there is nuance on the issue of refusing Holy Communion. Msgr Suaudeau insists that the issue should be dealt with in private by senior churchmen. Bishops, he said, have to signify to politicians in private the wrong-headedness of their actions. He added that the Vatican does not like excommunication or talking about it publicly and does this for the sake of the local church.
So, as far as Rome is concerned, the ball is firmly in the Irish bishops' court. Most bishops, I suspect, would prefer Rome to act on their behalf.
That way, they can avoid contentious discussions with politicians. Canon lawyers say that a priest or bishops should never refuse Holy Communion to a pro-abortion politician to make a point.
The
matter, they say, is better dealt with by approaching the politician in
private about the issue ahead of any potential controversy at Mass.
But
a dilemma arises when a priest or bishop has spoken to a politician and
made him or her aware of the church's stance on the issue and the
politician still comes forward for Holy Communion.
It's an unenviable place for bishops and priests to find themselves. If they refuse Holy Communion to a Catholic politician in these circumstances, they will provoke controversy and bring down sharp criticism upon the church.
If they do nothing then they risk giving the
impression that the church doesn't really care about the issue of
abortion and that Catholics can do what they like and still continue to
give the impression that they are in good standing with their church.
In the US, Holy Communion for pro-abortion politicians has been a dividing line in the church.
The 2009 funeral of Senator Ted Kennedy provoked controversy among some conservative elements within the church.
Despite his outspoken pro-abortion views, not only did Kennedy receive full Catholic obsequies in death, there were also two cardinals at his funeral. It seems you can live under two houses after all.
The 2009 funeral of Senator Ted Kennedy provoked controversy among some conservative elements within the church.
Despite his outspoken pro-abortion views, not only did Kennedy receive full Catholic obsequies in death, there were also two cardinals at his funeral. It seems you can live under two houses after all.
Irish
bishops are likely to continue to tread carefully on the issue,
addressing it in private where it arises and trying to keep politics
away from the altar rails.