Democrats, reacting to the possibility of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops denying communion to pro-abortion politicians, have resorted to bullying by threatening the removal of the Catholic Church's tax-exempt status.
The Christian Post reported that California Representative Jared Huffman implied in Twitter that the tax exempt status should be removed from the Catholic Church if it will insist to ban pro-abortion politicians from receiving Holy Communion.
"If they're going to politically weaponize religion by "rebuking" Democrats who support women's reproductive choice, then a 'rebuke' of their tax-exempt status may be in order," Huffman said on Saturday.
Huffman actually retweeted a post by LA Times Congressional Reporter Jennifer Haberkorn on the matter. Haberkorn highlighted that 60 Catholic House Democrats has responded negatively to the alleged weaponizing of the Catholic Church of the Eucharist against abortion based on what The New York Times claimed on the outcome of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Spring General Assembly and on the statement released by the said legislators.
"60 Catholic House Dems respond: 'The Sacrament of Holy Communion is central to the life of practicing Catholics & the weaponization of the Eucharist to Democratic lawmakers for their support of a woman's safe and legal access to abortion is contradictory,'" Haberkorn quoted from the statement released by the Democrats on the issue.
The Christian Post added that the Democrats have "solemnly urged" the bishops to forego with the plan in drafting the policy since it does not "reflect and encompass the depth and complexity of these issues."
Although Huffman was not a signatory of the statement, there were indeed 60 Catholic Democrats who expressed the "Statement of Principles" they live with despite being legislators of the United States Congress in so far as their faith are concerned. Part of the said legislators included House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Women's Health Protection Act co-sponsor Texas Representative Veronica Escobar. The Democrat-introduced Women's Health Protection Act is a bill removing "all limitations and requirements on abortion."
The 4-page "Statement of Principles" dated June 18 speaks of the Catholic Democrat's pride to be "part of the living Catholic tradition" while advocating their belief that the "government has moral purpose." The Catholic Democrats did stress that the Catholic Church "unfailingly promotes" not only the common good but also a "consistent moral framework for life" that provides a "safety net to those individuals in society who are the most vulnerable."
"We are committed to making real the basic principles that are at the heart of Catholic social teaching: helping the poor, disadvantaged, and the oppressed, protecting the least among us and ensuring that all Americans of every faith are given meaningful opportunities to share in the blessings of this great country. That commitment is fulfilled in different ways by legislators," the Democrats said.
"In all these issues, we seek the Church's guidance and assistance but believe also in the primacy of conscience. 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 added.
"We recognize that no political party is perfectly in accord with all aspects of Church doctrine. This fact speaks to the secular nature of American democracy, not the devotion of our democratically elected leaders," the Catholic Democrats highlighted. "Yet we believe we can speak to the fundamental issues that unite us as Catholics and lend our voices to changing the political debate--a debate that often fails to reflect and encompass the depth and complexity of these issues."
They also cited Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation, "The Joy of the Gospel," to drive a point that although the Eucharist is the "fullness of sacramental life," it is "not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak."
In addition, the said Democrats stated their belief in the separation of the church and state as a reason for supporting policies contrary to Church teachings. They urged the bishops not to deny them the Eucharist which they regard as the "most holy of all sacraments" since they alleged that pursuing a "blanket of denial of the Holy Eucharist to certain elected officials would indeed grieve the Holy Spirit."
