Prepared to Receive

LifeSite News reported on March 15, 2005:
Knowingly or unknowingly, Pope John Paul II stepped into a heated debate over the giving of Holy Communion to pro-abortion and same-sex marriage supportive politicians. In a message made public Saturday addressed to US Cardinal James F. Stafford, the Pope noted, "Only people with a sincere awareness of not having committed mortal sin may receive the body of Christ."
The message, dated March 8 from Gemelli Polyclinic (the hospital where the Pope was recovering from surgery) concerned confession of sins. "Clearly and simply preach the true doctrine concerning the need of the Sacrament of reconciliation for receiving Communion, when one is aware of not being in God's grace," wrote John Paul II. "We live in a society that often seems to have lost a sense of God and of sin."
The statement comes as Catholic Bishops in the United States, Canada and other countries struggle with the reality of unruly Catholic politicians who despite voting to support abortion and same sex marriage insist they are practicing Catholics and able to receive Communion.
Last year in the US about a dozen bishops publicly stated that pro-abortion politicians should be denied Communion, and in Canada Bishop Fred Henry backed the stance.
However the Vatican has been increasingly insistent on the issue with Cardinal Francis Arinze, the leading Vatican authority on the sacraments, giving a candid interview to EWTN which addressed the matter directly. Asked if pro-abortion politicians should be denied communion, Arinze responded, "The answer is clear. If a person says I am in favour of killing unborn babies . . . then the person turn around and say I want to receive Holy Communion. Do you need any Cardinal from the Vatican to answer that? . . Simple, ask the children for First Communion, they'll give you the answer."