Can Catholic Priests Endorse Political Candidates ?
Q: Why don’t the bishops excommunicate self-‐proclaimed Catholic politicians who not only dissent from Church teaching but actively work to undermine the Church’s mission? – Maurice
A: When it comes to excommunication, or denying Holy Communion to someone, we are dealing not only with Church Law, but also with the prudential application of that Law. It would seem that most Bishops currently consider the application of these penalties, in public ways, to be imprudent and/or counter-‐ productive.
In Scripture we see that Jesus himself gives various answers as to how to deal with sinners in the Church. On the one hand, he offers that for unrepentant sinners who will not even listen to the Church, they should be considered as a tax collector, or Gentile (i.e. excommunicated) – cf Matt 18:17. But elsewhere, Jesus tells a parable about field hands who urged the owner to tear out the weeds from the field, but the owner cautioned that to do so might also harm the wheat. He then said, let them grow together to the harvest – cf Matt. 13:30.
Hence, we see that a prudential judgment is necessary, and that many things must be weighed. Currently, many bishops have expressed concerns that to excommunicate, or apply other public penalties, would make “martyrs” of these public figures and further divide the Church, (for not all Catholics agree with the view implicit in your question).
What is clear is that the pastors of such politicians, and other wayward Catholics, should meet with them privately, to call them to repentance. And, if their repentance is lacking, they should privately be urged to stay away from Holy Communion and be mindful of their final judgment before God.
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