"Tough Love", the Catechism, Canon Law, & the 8th Congressional District

Today's second reading was a powerful reminder of how Jesus Christ's Church has long understood the notion of "tough love":

• “what 'son' is there whom his father does not discipline?....all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it."

Any responsible parent knows that discipline is the toughest part of the job! Yet, we discipline those in our care, because we want what's best for them!

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is absolutely clear with regard to its teaching on abortion:

• "2270 Human life must be respected & protected absolutely from the moment of conception....
• "2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable....
• "2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life....The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society."

This seems to be a notion that's especially difficult for the world to understand! The Church uses excommunication to remind those whom she loves of the seriousness of their sin!

Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law tells us that: "Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion." In 2004's Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger made clear how this would apply to Catholic politicians. Judie Brown is a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life & the founder of the American Life League. According to the American Life League's Canon 915 Project, it is unclear as to whether Canon 915 is being followed in our Archdiocese:

Do we love Patrick Murphy (as well as Joe Sestak & others) enough to remind him of the serious error in which he has placed himself?