[Right Scoop] The US Catholic Bishops have just voted overwhelmingly to begin drafting a teaching document on the Holy Eucharist, which will include guidance on whether Biden and other abortion-supporting politicians should be able to receive Holy Communion:THE HILL – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has voted to proceed with drafting a formal statement on the meaning of communion, which will include whether President Biden and other politicians should be denied the rite based on their stance on abortion.This part is key here. When Bishop Rhoades says “I can’t answer that question…that is a decision of his bishop,” that means that whatever the USCCB puts forth in this teaching document, it won’t have any actual teeth. It’s not a legal document in the sense of making canon law. It’s a teaching document. The ultimate authority on whether someone is granted or denied Holy Communion belongs to the Bishop over a given politician’s diocese. Another Bishop, or the entire Bishop’s conference can’t dictate to any given Bishop what he can or can’t do in this regard.
The action item for the committee on doctrine to start a teaching document on the Holy Eucharist passed 168-55, with six bishops abstaining from the vote, the USCCB announced Friday.
The document will be up for debate, subject to amendments and voted on at the group’s next meeting in November.
When asked at a press conference on Thursday following the vote if Biden, who is only the second Catholic president, should be able to receive communion, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, said, “I can’t answer that question.”
“We will be looking at that whole issue of eucharistic consistency. … When you look at canon law, that is a decision of his bishop,” he added.