California priest says Obama supporters should go to Confession; bishop responds

December 04, 2008

In a November 21 letter to the faithful of his California parish, Father Joseph Illo elaborated on the words of a previous homily: “If you voted for a pro-abortion candidate on November 4, and you knew what you were doing, you need to go to confession before receiving communion.”

Father Illo explained, “If you are one of the 54% of Catholics who voted for a pro-abortion candidate, you were clear on his position, and you knew the gravity of the question, I urge you to go to confession before receiving communion. Don’t risk losing your state of grace by receiving sacrilegiously. I appeal to your conscience, grounded in Church teaching. To some degree we all have the blood of these children on our hands. I myself have confessed sacramentally, and I confess to you now, that I have not done enough to defend these children. Their blood is on my hands too. We will see them in the next life, and they will ask us why we let them die.” Father Illo continued, “If you voted for a pro-abortion candidate, I cannot say for certain if you should refrain from Holy Communion. I don’t know what you were thinking. But voting for a candidate who promises ‘abortion rights,’ even if he promises every other good thing, is voting for abortion. It is a grave mistake, and probably a grave sin. No issue can compare with the legalized destruction of a mother’s child. I am writing to you because I love you and I care about your relationship with God. I am also writing because God requires this of me as a Catholic priest.”

Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton issued a statement on Monday rebuking Father Illo’s stance. “As the Bishop of the Diocese of Stockton,” he wrote, “I am deeply committed to the teaching of the Catholic Church, not only in modern times, but throughout history, stating clearly and consistently that abortion is an intrinsic evil … We must stand against all intrinsic evils, in the public forum as well as in our own consciences. However, determining the moral culpability of an individual Catholic who votes for a candidate with a pro-abortion record is a very complicated matter. Requiring all Catholics who voted for a candidate with a pro-abortion record to go to confession is not in accord with the moral guidelines set out in ‘Faithful Citizenship.’ Nevertheless, if a Catholic votes for a candidate with a pro-abortion record with the motivation of supporting that abortion stance, then that is a grave moral matter.”

“I have not and will not tell the Catholic people of this diocese for whom to vote,” Bishop Blaire concluded. “We must always keep in mind the whole spectrum of life issues, weigh our decisions carefully, pray to God for guidance, and make the best choices we can for the common good.”

Bishop Blaire and Father Illo have met, and Father Illo said he would issue a second letter “to clarify my position.”

 

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Further information:

• Letter to parishioners (St. Joseph’s Church, Modesto, Nov. 21)
• Statement by Bishop Stephen Blaire (Diocese of Stockton)
• Pastor’s stand draws national spotlight (Modesto Bee)