Catholic prelates are at odds over whether any politician who supports abortion rights should be allowed to receive Holy Communion.
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prelates, the past participle of preferred, which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'prefer'; hence, a prelate is one set over others.
The Vatican is urging American bishops to hold off on plans to produce a document concerning Communion and politicians, sending a letter to a top U.S. cleric that could dial down debate over whether to deny the Eucharist to Catholic President Joe Biden.
Because the Catholic Church opposes abortion as a matter of doctrine, some Catholic bishops have reportedly refused or threatened to refuse communion or threatened to declare ex-communication upon Catholic politicians who support abortion.
This possible proposal could affect POTUS, among other Catholic political figures. The Vatican is calling for U.S. bishops to reach a consensus and warning that any such move could end up sowing division.
The Bishop of San Diego, California “It will bring tremendously destructive consequences,” McElroy wrote. “The Eucharist is being weaponized and deployed as a tool in political warfare. This must not happen.”
The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian religion, with well over 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide.
