Transcript:
Question:
We still in this country 300,000 unborn children are slaughtered every year in the United States of America and it was recently brought to my attention that there are only two other countries who have laws in many states in the US that a woman can abort her unborn baby right up until the time of birth. The only two other countries who permit this are China and North Korea. We had some bishops in the US who were so concerned about that. They wanted to sign a letter that said any politician who endorsed this who was still against life could not receive the Eucharist. It seemed like a logical and reasonable request to make of priests, and yet that was all stifled. What is your response? Should President Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi who recently just met with the Holy Father, should someone like that who promotes late-term abortion all the up until birth, should they be able to receive the Eucharist?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider:
Never; it is impossible. It’s against the meaning of the Holy Eucharist itself. It goes against the meaning of being Catholic. It is not only about late-term abortion; it is about any form of abortion. When someone publicly supports the killing of an innocent child, an unborn child willfully, whatever age the unborn child is currently in (from conception), it is a horrible crime done to Christ in heaven. When someone supports this, he is declaring and committing a grave sin because he is supporting murder. He can and will, under no reasonable circumstances, be admitted to receive Holy Communion until he repents and publicly retracts his position. What does Holy Communion mean? Eucharist Communion is the form of the greatest union with the faith and life of the Church and with God Himself. So, when I receive Jesus Christ in Holy Communion, I am demonstrating communion by means of union with Christ and His will. Jesus Christ said, “Whoever observes my commandments loves me.” Therefore, when you do not observe the commandment of God, in this case, the killing of the innocent, you are not loving God; you are not in union with God. You have to remember that when you are going to receive Holy Communion, you are displaying before everybody that you are in the closest union with God because Holy Communion is the closest possible union with God here on earth. The sacramental reception of His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Holy Communion is the greatest expression of union with the entire Church.
The Church has always rejected abortion and will continue to categorically reject abortion or other public immorality, such as the homosexual agenda or same-sex marriages. The Church will continue to reject this because it is against the revealed will of God and brings false happiness to the people. In the cases of these politicians who openly promote abortion or same-sex marriages, they are not in union with the teachings of the Church. So, how can they receive Holy Communion and state they are in full communion with the Church which implies the communion teachings of the Church? This is a lie; to give Holy Communion to such politicians is a form of an enormous lie, a fake, and, at the same time, a sacrilege, an offense to God. The Holy Communion is the holiest of holies, and we are desecrating it with this fake performance. At the same time, those bishops and priests who are giving and allowing these people to receive Holy Communion are implicitly approving of your lifestyle and position, and you are allowed to continue. This is, in any case, anti-pastoral. This is an anti-witness to the love and faith of the Church. It is a form of performance directed towards the desecration of the Most Holy. It is also the greatest act of uncharity towards these politicians because they are committing sacrilege and offending God by contradicting His will while receiving Holy Communion. St. Paul says they are eating their judgment, and these priests and bishops are allowing them to eat their own judgment, which harms their eternal salvation. This is not a charitable act; this is an act against the love of neighbors.
When a person is publicly known for his position against the teachings of the Church. Every priest, who must be charitable, of course, should refuse to give them Holy Communion and say, I do this because I love you and I do not want to harm your soul. So, my rejection of you by not giving you Holy Communion is an expression of my love for your soul. Once you die, you will remember this, and you will be grateful to me for sparing you from so many grave sins. Be at least grateful that I have not allowed you to accumulate grave sins. We have already accumulated so many sins in your life that contradict the will of God, especially your support for the murder of innocent children. But at least you have not accumulated other horrible sins, like the sacrilege of receiving Holy Communion. So, we have to see this in the light of eternity as well. I repeat, these politicians should never receive Holy Communion for the sake of the salvation of their own souls.
