Were any of the Wall Street scam artists and greed mongers who led our country and world into economic meltdown Roman Catholics? If so, will they receive communion?
The New York Times reports on the Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate...On Integral Human Development in Charity and Truth released today by the Vatican. In it Pope Benedict"...called for a radical rethinking of the global economy, criticizing a growing divide between rich and poor and urging the establishment of a "world political authority" to oversee the economy and work for the "common good." He criticized the current economic system, "where the pernicious effects of sin are evident," and urged financiers in particular to "rediscover the genuinely ethical foundation of their activity."
I hope for consistency that the American Catholic Bishops who have gone after sinners such as pro-choice politicians will also seek out and withhold communion unrepentant capitalists. Unlike the Catholic nuns who are now under inquisition for heterodoxy of thought , actions that do not cause actual harm to people, these Catholic politicians' and business people's sins caused misery and deprivation for millions of Americans facing home foreclosures and job losses.
Catholic business leaders disregarded basic Roman Catholic teachings on economic justice and caused real harm. Yet I have yet to see public repentance. I look forward to seeing any spiritual repercussions that the Catholic church might have in store for them including the church's weapon of choice - no communion.
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Fear of eternal damnation as a result of withholding Communion might change behavior at a very basic level, but that is what laws are for, not the Church. Withholding Communion does nothing to improve the holiness of people's *thoughts* which is what Jesus was concerned about. Jesus told us to forgive not just seven times, but seven times seven. We are also told "Vengeance is mind, saith the Lord" meaning we are not given free rein to decide how to take vengeance on anyone; the Lord will determine how to handle it with His infinite wisdom.
Lastly, Jesus told us to give to God what is God's and give to Caesar what is Caesar's -- why would the Church become involved in financial matters if Jesus was completely unconcerned about them? Shouldn't the role of the Church be to focus on our souls and not our wallets?
The withholding of communion is based on canon law. A papal encyclical doesn't establish new canon law, only a formal change in the code does. I'd suggest you become familiar with the process before commenting on it,
Your rhetorical cheap shot about the nuns doesn't make sense. And if the issue is degree of harm, I suggest abortion easily trumps financial shenanigans
"heterodoxy of thought, actions that do not cause actual harm to people"
If what they differ on is what type of habit to wear, you're right, no harm done.
If, for example, an order was preaching against an established doctrine of the faith, by denying it or twisting it around, then that's what we call "impugning the truth", and that's one of the 6 sins against the Holy Spirit. Intentionally misleading someone regarding the truth does, in fact, do people much harm.
But getting back to "economic sins", if Madoff was Catholic and refused -- quite publicly -- to acknowledge that what he did was evil, then yes, he would be denied Holy Communion until he reconciled himself with the truth.
But Madoff isn't Catholic; he's Jewish. So let's ask what the Jewish community is going to do about "economic sinning" instead of picking another senseless fight with the RCC simply because it makes for lots of extra blog traffic.
what about all those greedy folks out there who bit off more than they can chew. deny them communion also?
What about the Vatican. They are one of the biggest capitalist entities around. Deny all those connected to it. I think not. That where it would end.
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