What justifies withholding the Eucharist?

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Jun 18, 2021

You know that familiar feeling that comes when you realize—too late—how you should have answered a question?

Appearing with Raymond Arroyo on his World Over broadcast last night, we talked about the US bishops’ debate on the proposed “Eucharistic coherence” document. Then, switching gears, he asked for my thoughts on some other issues—including the Chicago archdiocesan policy that requires Catholics to wear a mask in church if they cannot furnish proof of vaccination. I managed an answer, but this morning I woke up with a better idea. The response that I should have given would have run something like this:

“Look, just a minute ago we were talking about the bishops’ debate, in which we heard some bishops saying that it would be a terrible thing to create the impression that some people aren’t welcome in church. Isn’t that the impression that the Chicago archdiocesan policy creates? And notice that in Chicago, the archdiocese is imposing restrictions that the government doesn’t impose. On what basis? Is the archdiocese setting itself up as a public-health authority?

“But let’s take this question a bit further, and look at how the Church in general responded to the Covid epidemic. Again, we’ve been hearing bishops tell us that it would be wrong to deny the Eucharist to anyone. But last year, the bishops denied the Eucharist to everyone!

“Oh, but you might say that the bishops had an important reason for shutting down the churches and shutting off access to the sacraments. They were trying to keep everyone healthy.

“OK. Let’s leave aside the scientific arguments, and the question of whether these extreme measures were necessary. The point of the lockdown was to keep people healthy. But the point of “Eucharistic coherence”—the point of withholding the Eucharist from people in a manifest state of grave sin—is to keep people spiritually healthy. And isn’t that the first duty of the Church’s pastors?

“Sure, you might say that the whole world understood why the bishops were closing down the churches, and the world would not properly understand why the Church withholds the Eucharist from someone who supports the slaughter of the unborn. But are you telling me, then, that the bishops should only take actions that the secular world can understand?

“Yes, I’ll grant you that the secular world does not understand the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of life and the sanctity of the Eucharist. For that matter the secular world does not grasp the nature of the Church’s spiritual mission. But that’s no reason for Church leaders to be silent. Quite the contrary, that the reason for a teaching document, such as the one the bishops are now discussing.”