The Kerry Affair: What Ratzinger Wanted from the American Bishops
… The practice of indiscriminately presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion, merely as a consequence of being present at Mass, is an abuse that must be corrected
… abortion or euthanasia is a grave sin
… “an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to «take part in a propoganda campaign in favour of such a law or vote for it»” [ Evangelium vitae, 73 ]
… the minister of Holy Communion may find himself in the situation where he must refuse to distribute Holy Communion to someone
… an obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin (cf. can. 915)
… in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws
… Nor is the minister of Holy Communion passing judgement on the person’s subjective guilt, but rather is reacting to the person’s public unworthiness to receive Holy Communion due to an objective situation of sin
Evangelium vitae
