Biden And Pelosi Sacrilege - What Will WE Do About It?

The news is all over the Catholic blogosphere that pro-abortion "katholycs" Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden received Holy Communion at the inaugural Mass today.  Many are understandably outraged, but I believe that their outrage is misdirected.  They are implying that this bodes ill for Pope Francis as he should have arranged to have Holy Communion denied to the two pro-aborts.

I believe the logistics of that scenario would have made it impossible for Pelosi and Biden to have been so denied.  Most of us Americans can recognize Biden and Pelosi as they are so prominent in US politics.  We fail to take into account that the two are not "household words" for people living in other countries.  They most likely would not be recognized by most of the European "man-on-the-street" people.  There is no reason to presume that a local priest distributing Communion at that Mass would have recognized Biden and Pelosi, let alone realize that Canon 915 should be applied to them.

So let us all take some deep breaths and count to ten.  This antic pulled by Pelosi and Biden is not some ominous indication of the course of Francis' papacy.  What it is, though, is a wake-up call to us laity that we need to step up to the plate.

What do I mean by that?  The fact is that we bloggers have been raising our voices about this atrocity until we're blue in the face.  Another fact is that we are largely being ignored.  What to do about that?  I have a suggestion and it's not a new one!

Almost ten years ago, when the Rainbow Sash crowd stated their intentions to make sacrilegious Holy Communions in the Archdiocese of St Paul (MN), a group of Catholic gentlemen, led by David Pence stood - knelt, actually - in the gap.  They called themselves "Ushers of the Eucharist".  You can read about them at the link.  That group is now inactive (to the best of my knowledge) but perhaps we should take up that mantle ourselves.  Wait!  I can hear the objections!

• "That might cause scandal!"  No, the scandal is already happening vis-a-vis the blatant sacrileges.
• "Tension during Mass?"  Better that than flagrant mortal sins during Mass

This could take many forms, such as the kneeling in the Sashers' path that the original group did, or walking besides them and pleading with them not to imperil their own souls with yet another mortal sin.  It's a pity that we have to contemplate such measures, but the bishops' adamant refusal to obey Canon 915 (and their punishment of priests who do obey that canon law) leave us with no choice.  Perhaps they will reconsider if they see that we ourselves are willing to step out of our "comfort zones" to keep the Eucharist from sacrilege.

Note: See American Life League's Canon 915 Project for information regarding specific bishops.