Catholic Democrats Appeal to ‘Primacy
of Conscience’ in Abortion Support
Breitbart Politics,
by
Thomas D. Williams PhD
Original Article
Posted By: Imright,
6/20/2021 4:40:20 AM
Sixty Catholic Democrats in Congress have written an open “Statement of Principles” explaining why the Catholic Church should not deny Holy Communion to professed Catholics who promote abortion.The open letter was published online on June 18 to coincide with the June meeting of the U.S. bishops, who discussed, among other things, the question of “Eucharistic coherence” and conditions under which a Catholic should not present himself to receive Holy Communion.“As legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives, we work every day to advance respect for life and the dignity of every human being,” the letter states.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
web 6/20/2021 5:12:59 AM (No. 821053)
Demoncrat legislators work to "advance respect for life and the dignity of every human being." You see, people. That is why you should not be given communion. You are such liars and hypocrites, and as such, you are of your father the devil. You advocate for the murder of the most innocent of human life. Dignity is a word that is unknown to you. You sell your soul and your principles to the highest bidders, while pretending to be defenders of the poor. For Christians to uphold their principles is not an attack on you, unless you put yourself in opposition to the commandments of Christ and the Church.
81 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
PChristopher 6/20/2021 5:31:45 AM (No. 821055)
I now know 60 Democrats who need to be excommunicated.
72 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
BarryNo 6/20/2021 5:33:37 AM (No. 821056)
They aren't Catholics.
They are hedonists who, long ago died in the spirit, and now shambles along, groaning for the blood and brains of the unborn.
Zombie Apocalypse indeed.
53 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
The Remnants 6/20/2021 5:47:13 AM (No. 821064)
The "weaponization of the Eucharist" - what a horrible phrase! Someone was probably paid all kinds of money to come up with that contortion of truth! How about the Sacredness of The Eucharist? Or the Healing Power of the Eucharist? Or the Restorative Gift of the Eucharist? Or the Sacrament of the Eucharist? But, weaponization of the Eucharist? I do not think so. I think Christ said something about hot or cold, but not lukewarm. This is not lukewarm; this is very, very cold.
60 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
5 handicap 6/20/2021 5:53:35 AM (No. 821065)
Is there nothing Democrats won't lie, wheedle and cheat about?
69 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
kiwikit 6/20/2021 5:55:38 AM (No. 821067)
There's no such thing as a Democratic Catholic; it's a contradiction in terms. One is either on or the other but can NOT be both. Only reason they think they can exist is because Democrats overall are irrational.
48 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
LaVallette 6/20/2021 6:31:24 AM (No. 821074)
The twoDocuments of the Second Vatican Council that have been hijacked and deliberately misinterpreted by the "liberal reformers " within the Catholic Church and has served them to confuse the faithful, giving rise to the notion that individual Catholics can all reinvent the God in their own image, to pick and chose and bend the teachings of Christ himself to their own, and to recreate the Catholic church as a democracy and Its teaching Magisterium malleable according to the will and current fashion of the world. One was on "Freedom Conscience" and the other "Sensum Fidelium" They deliberately disregard that both documents were tightly circumscribed by two crucial limitations: they were subject to the Teachings of Christ and the contents of the Bible, the Gospels in particular, and the absolute primacy of the Magisterium or Teaching authority of the Church, concerning issues of their application, interpretation and their development in the light of emerging issues and progress of God's people on earth.. Furthermore any exercise of individual initiative under both documents are only available to those who are fully cognizant of these two constraints. In other words both of those two documents were meant to be interpreted and to operate under the centuries old principles formulated by St. Augustine, a Doctor of the Church: "In essentials absolute unity and obedience, in non essentials, freedom subject to reason and knowledge of the truth ".
30 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
anniebc 6/20/2021 6:37:40 AM (No. 821078)
Notice how they fear no consequences of associating themselves with the "principles." The left is always defining decency down. Respect for life and dignity, my banana. Liars.
37 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Krause 6/20/2021 6:40:21 AM (No. 821079)
These 60 heretics do not believe life begins at conception. Why don't they just come out and say it.
47 people like this.
The political dunces cannot understand why the church is not as tolerant of immoral behavior as they are
35 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Rather Read 6/20/2021 6:55:32 AM (No. 821104)
People who offer help to pregnant women - real help not just aborting their children are the real heroes. Most Dem politicians are too afraid to get their hands dirty to actually DO something.
28 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
ARKfamily 6/20/2021 6:55:34 AM (No. 821106)
Yet, in the 1970's, my mom was ex-communicated because of the divorce. Double standards for the elitists. . .
30 people like this.
There is no such thing. However there is such a thing as a "false conscience" which is basically you telling yourself that you know better than God what is right and wrong. And murder is murder however you slice it folks. Here is an easy test for all those liberals. Can we destroy loggerhead turtle eggs if our conscience tells us it is OK?
41 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
Kafka2 6/20/2021 7:13:33 AM (No. 821119)
FTA: "As legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives, we work every day to advance respect for life and the dignity of every human being,” the letter states.
Since when is abortion "advancing respect for life and the dignity of every human being?" It is infanticide. It is a shame these deplorable legislators were not shown the same respect when they were still in the womb or birth canal.
28 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
SweetPea3 6/20/2021 7:17:48 AM (No. 821124)
Luke 1:41. Lets you know when GOD says life begins.
26 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
hershey 6/20/2021 7:20:04 AM (No. 821128)
Fools and liberal bootlickers...what part of 'Thou Shall Not Kill' don't you understand?
21 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
Hazymac 6/20/2021 7:23:59 AM (No. 821131)
Excommunicate them all.
20 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
Jesuslover54 6/20/2021 7:24:56 AM (No. 821134)
Another "penumbra" argument.
8 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
49 Ford 6/20/2021 7:37:23 AM (No. 821143)
They know that this kind of sophistry goes over well with the media and their dumbed down voter base.
We are all accountable for our sins, and I have my own baggage to lug around, but I wouldn't trade it for theirs.
25 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
49 Ford 6/20/2021 7:39:42 AM (No. 821149)
...And very well said, # 1
11 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
udanja99 6/20/2021 7:48:19 AM (No. 821155)
Oh, of course. Demonrat “Catholics” in congress know better than the Universal Church. What arrogance. What evil!
19 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
Timber Queen 6/20/2021 7:50:16 AM (No. 821157)
FTA: “… the Catholic Democrats insisted they ‘seek the Church’s guidance and assistance but believe also in the primacy of conscience.’”
Ah, conscience; the sinner’s favorite refuge. I doubt any of those sixty (60!) Catholic Democrats bothered to reference a copy of the Catechism and the section, “To Choose in Accord with Conscience.” There is no teaching on the “primacy of conscience”. On the contrary, the opening sentence is, “Faced with a moral choice, conscience can make either a right judgment in accordance with reason and the divine law or, on the contrary, an erroneous judgment that departs from them.”
They obviously missed P 1789, entitled “Some rules apply in every case.” The first admonition is, “One may never do evil so that good may result from it.” I would say advocating for the murder of unborn babies, at any time under the guise of a myriad of excuses, as shown over 50 years that no good has resulted. The second and third instructions include the Golden Rule, and to respect one’s neighbor and his conscience.
I would think they’d be made uneasy by P 1791, “…when a man takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin. In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits.”
FTA: “‘In recognizing the Church’s role in providing moral leadership, we acknowledge and accept the tension that comes with being in disagreement with the Church in some areas,’ they declare.”
Their obstinacy is stunning. They think being Catholic is like being a Democrat, you can pick and choose on any given day. P 1792 would clear up their confusion, “… assertion of a mistaken notion of autonomy of conscience, rejection of the Church’s authority and her teaching, lack of conversion and of charity: these can be at the source of errors of judgment in moral conduct.” Its no wonder they had to acknowledge and accept the tension they’re feeling. Their sheepskin of Catholicism is about to be ripped off their backs and expose the ravenous wolves beneath.
AMDG
27 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
philsner 6/20/2021 7:57:28 AM (No. 821168)
Democrats who push this nonsense are 100% wrong, but they know it, and they don't care. But their efforts are getting results. They have the "bishops" actually considering this fatal contradiction, and to me, that is where the evil originates. Those who deny the word of God are lost already, but it seems to me that God has always had a special place for "priests" who defile the church.
13 people like this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
The Remnants 6/20/2021 8:30:40 AM (No. 821210)
#12 - Whomever told your mom in the '70's that she was excommunicated was wrong, and, obviously, did not know what he was talking about. A lot of seminarians in that period and beyond were taught by men who did not know or choose to believe Catholic doctrine, and, sadly, some of those men are still with us. There was no reason why your mom was not able to receive the sacraments if she was divorced. I'm divorced and I practice my faith. If she intended to marry again, then she would apply for an annulment of her marriage. I am sorry that some priest hurt your mom and prevented her from receiving the sacraments. Some of those same kinds of priests and bishops now rationalize why our "Catholic" politicians can support abortion and still receive the Eucharist. We definitely need term limits for many in our church hierarchy (especially, the bishops).
16 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
TCloud 6/20/2021 8:30:51 AM (No. 821211)
They think of themselves as smart and complicated and in reality they have become useless tools for those who want to mimic the Ultimate Tricksters we warn about and teach our Children to keep hands off!
9 people like this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
Yuban 6/20/2021 8:47:16 AM (No. 821230)
The Catholic Church can side with God or side with the abortionists. I hope they do not deal with this issue the same way they have dealt with Priest pedophiles.
7 people like this.
Reply 27 - Posted by:
bpl40 6/20/2021 8:48:59 AM (No. 821231)
How "respect for life and dignity of every human being" is enhanced by denying those very things to the unborn, remains unclear. Maybe the Church and the Holy Father can provide guidance.
10 people like this.
Reply 28 - Posted by:
mizzmac 6/20/2021 9:09:29 AM (No. 821254)
Theirs is the oldest argument in the world: God owes me what I want because I'm a good person (in my own eyes). They demonstrate by their stance that they are not Catholic, their words are the very best argument possible for why the Church should refuse their self-righteous demands. May God have mercy on their souls.
16 people like this.
Reply 29 - Posted by:
dst4life 6/20/2021 9:36:33 AM (No. 821279)
Anyone can claim "primacy of conscience" to justify undertaking horrible actions. Anyone can claim the "Holy Spirit" moved them to support abortion.
No, DemonCrats. You don't hear your conscience or the Holy Spirit. Instead, Satan inspires you.
13 people like this.
Reply 30 - Posted by:
Omen55 6/20/2021 9:46:47 AM (No. 821293)
Deny dem communion should be the first step to excommunication.
You can not support all these types of abortion & stand as a believer in the sanctity of Life.
Communion is not a right it is given to those who stand with Christ.
The Christ who loves children💖
11 people like this.
Reply 31 - Posted by:
FormerDem 6/20/2021 9:50:27 AM (No. 821295)
Thank you, #7, and all the others, I was afraid I had to look all that stuff up myself. Whoever you are. Blowing a kiss your way, everyone.
9 people like this.
Reply 32 - Posted by:
Vaquero45 6/20/2021 10:02:05 AM (No. 821317)
Democrats - always part of the problem, NEVER part of the solution.
11 people like this.
Reply 33 - Posted by:
TJ54 6/20/2021 10:02:12 AM (No. 821318)
Catholic Democrat is an oxymoron
16 people like this.
Reply 34 - Posted by:
Strike3 6/20/2021 10:02:28 AM (No. 821319)
Save your weasel words. What part of "Thou shalt not kill" are you stuck on?
13 people like this.
Reply 35 - Posted by:
czechlist 6/20/2021 10:22:10 AM (No. 821339)
If the justification for abortion is "my body, my choice". Then, other than rape, a choice was made. If passion is an excuse then many murders can be excused.
To paraphrase Reagan - Consequences are stubborn things.
10 people like this.
Reply 36 - Posted by:
Zigrid 6/20/2021 10:22:34 AM (No. 821340)
Let's go through this again... God said in His Commandments... "Thou shalt not kill"....that means ALL forms of humanity... you and me and the defenseless unborn...what dignity of life is there... when a baby is literally torn from his/her mother's womb and murdered... no "nice" way to put it...there is no dignity for life in abortion no matter how many democrats say so...they are pandering to the millennials for votes....but... that boat has sailed...millennials are waking up...the Dems screwed Bernie twice... and they will never forget that...
7 people like this.
Reply 37 - Posted by:
PrayerWarrior 6/20/2021 10:25:50 AM (No. 821342)
Do these abortionists demon-rats get a kick-back from the selling of aborted baby parts?...from Planned Parenthood? Which is a contraction..Planned... in itself! They should be called "Aborted Parenthood."
7 people like this.
Reply 38 - Posted by:
Right Time 6/20/2021 10:32:51 AM (No. 821354)
Just returned home from Sunday Mass this morning. As usual, there 6-8 cars in the parking lot proudly displaying their Biden/Harris bumper stickers.
Pinheads!
12 people like this.
Reply 39 - Posted by:
Kate318 6/20/2021 11:08:26 AM (No. 821391)
“Primacy of Conscience” = Wanting to have your cake and to eat it, too.
10 people like this.
Reply 40 - Posted by:
Californian 6/20/2021 12:40:54 PM (No. 821466)
Why do they pretend to care so much about being members of a religious organization that is directly at odds with their own personal elides?
Go join some other religion that agrees with you or start your own.
9 people like this.
Reply 41 - Posted by:
ToryWhite 6/20/2021 12:48:09 PM (No. 821469)
Maybe Catholic education is not what it used to be (although probably still way better than the government version). Fact is, and Catholics ought to know this, that "conscience" is not the "ME" thing that tells us what we want to do, what feels right, or even what we think, or "reason" to be right. Conscience is the voice of God in our souls. When anyone, Catholic or anything else, mistakes the voice of conscience for the sounds from/of their own proclivities, they are rejecting the only form of communication which will determine their ultimate end. The still small voice which saves us is not something to toy with.
9 people like this.
Reply 42 - Posted by:
mifla 6/20/2021 2:22:21 PM (No. 821522)
Mark 9:42 - And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
5 people like this.
Reply 43 - Posted by:
MorningStar 6/20/2021 3:22:38 PM (No. 821571)
To start off, so many wonderful informative posts, let me thank you profusely! I had the privilege of being taught by so many fully-habited, recognizable, religious sisters from the tender age of 3 and 4 years old. Then, had the extended privilege of 8 years of teaching from the soundly orthodox Dominicans, Sisters of the Order of St. Dominic on Long Island. They were learned, and informative when it came to matters of the Catholic Faith. Many truths and teachings have stayed with me over these many, many decades. One in particular is that, "We should NEVER listen to a false, or deformed conscience, but "A TRULY, well-formed Catholic conscience." We should listen and follow the Magisterium, the teaching authority of Holy Mother Church, NOT become our own false popes! Our first pope, St. Peter is to have forbidden abortion when he wrote 'The Didache' in 96AD, or as I refer to abortion after years of volunteer counseling, and lobbying, "abortional murder and infanticide." I am not a quibbler, but blunt. Our precious unborn children deserve to be honored and spared these horrendous, heinous surgical procedures, ending in their death! And lest we be caught up in the "game of numbers" via so-called democracy, we should stand united to Jesus Christ Our Lord, who died on the Cross for us. He, by this Glorious, Ultimate Gift of Self, became the Majority of One!! When Right is Right, then we shouldn't be cowed so easily by numbers. Although there are some clergy that have caused scandal in the Church, it is quite unreasonable to taint all of our members as perverts, or worse, We all have a tendency to commit sin, but I don't believe any of us can escape this, due
to the universality of Original Sin. As far as excommunication goes, people who have mistakenly, and steadfastly chosen to be pro-abortion, have already excommunicated themselves, making a formal excommunication unnecessary, according to Canon Law. A habit of sound prayer should precede any moral decision. Speaking of habits, I have started to use the phrase, The HOLY Eucharist, not just saying, the Eucharist. It is, after all, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, of Our Dear Lord, Jesus Christ, following a valid consecration. Which is why IF any of us were to approach Holy Communion with a serious or mortal sin on our soul, especially Public "Pro-abort" Catholics, they would incur the penalty of making a Sacrilegeous Communion. The one, be they bishop, priest, deacon, or layperson, knowingly, would also be committing a Sacrilege, as well. This is no small matter. We may not impute individual guilt, since we don't know their state of mind, much less their soul, but should never cease to PRAY for those who appear to be leading us in SCANDAL. Hopefully, we don't do the same. Peace be on our heads, in our hearts, and our homes. Amen.
5 people like this.
Reply 44 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 6/20/2021 3:24:46 PM (No. 821573)
Yes, but, are they all Catholics by convenience or are they Catholics by faith and commitment.
3 people like this.
Reply 45 - Posted by:
pmcclure 6/20/2021 3:41:44 PM (No. 821594)
You do not advance "respect for life and the dignity of every human being" by butchering babies in the womb. Instead, you advocate the rampant evil that is destroying our society, nation, and world.
4 people like this.
Reply 46 - Posted by:
columba 6/20/2021 3:50:51 PM (No. 821601)
No matter your belief, Abortion is Murder.
3 people like this.
Reply 47 - Posted by:
little guy 6/20/2021 4:09:30 PM (No. 821606)
Like any religion ... there are rules and certain dogma that should not be questioned. To question such dogma, is to be non-supportive of the cause and thus you are proving that you are not a true member in good standing. The doubters and disbelievers stand outside looking in ... not inside looking out!
If you don't accept a concept, keep your doubts between you and God and ask for guidance. That guidance may even lead you to leave the religion or seek out another variant. That's your business but don't mislead the faithful. Better for you to leave than to pull some away from their own path.
The RC church has always said what God joins together (namely, sperm and ovum) let no MAN pull asunder. This means life, itself, is created in that moment and the newly made human is immediately imbued with a soul. Why would God wait to put the soul in at a later date? Thus, deliberately snuffing out that new life is to remove its soul from earth. Don't buy it? Fine .. go somewhere else. But that is the position of the Church you claim to be a member of in good standing!
4 people like this.
Reply 48 - Posted by:
Sully 6/20/2021 4:22:53 PM (No. 821612)
The "primacy of conscience" does not mean "pro-choice." It refers only to an "informed conscience"; informed by the Holy Spirit, not by the DNC and planned parenthood.
A "primacy of conscience" informed by "pro-choice" is how we got chattel slavery.
It would be good if the bishops just spoke in plain language: We are teaching you that abortion is child murder. Period. You don't agree? Then find another place to hang out on Sunday, bc you are not worshiping God. Not in our eyes. We don't really care what you think or what anyone thinks who is not in our Church.
You are not in our Church.
5 people like this.
Reply 49 - Posted by:
kono 6/20/2021 5:04:09 PM (No. 821636)
A WELL-FORMED conscience is able to exercise primacy, not a MALFORMED or UNFORMED one. When your mind and heart know the moral teachings, and you seek to follow, then it is possible for your conscience to be well-formed and exercise its primacy. Otherwise what you call your conscience tends to be your thoughts, feelings, desires, or passions.
4 people like this.
Reply 50 - Posted by:
lana720 6/20/2021 5:23:12 PM (No. 821651)
Evil has many faces. Here are 60 of them.
Imagine if you will, trying to convince God Almighty of your self-righteous opinion on this issue.
None of us is perfect, but the issue of Life is fundamental to all others. How does one have “Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness without it?
As a cradle Catholic, this is beyond disgusting!
3 people like this.
Reply 51 - Posted by:
Cindiana 6/20/2021 9:33:54 PM (No. 821763)
This is far and away the most wonderful thread I've ever read here. Thanks one and all for taking the time to share your knowledge, explain Doctrine, and clarify the wording being used in contemporary Church writings.
I am listening very carefully to the words and messages from our pastor now that we're back in church after lockdown. Today, especially, it was comforting to hear him speaking in support of unborn life. I pray that the reality of the abortion process comes to be realized by more and more people.
2 people like this.