Portuguese priest denies Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians

"I do not need any Bishop, Cardinal or Pope to authorize me to deny Communion to anybody who is publicly unworthy.” - Fr. Serras Pereira

Portuguese priest denies Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians...

"When a man has stepped over the threshold and allowed himself to fall into mortal sin, he must be purified by trial, but he must also, My children, be purified by the rule of penance and confession.
"What manner of evil is being set now upon mankind that compels him to lose his soul by rejecting the Sacraments, by no longer confessing to his confessor, but coming to receive My Son in sacrifice, while his soul is degraded by sin of mortal nature!" - Our Lady of the Roses, September 7, 1976

LifeSite News reported on March 11, 2005:

A Franciscan priest in Portugal has taken out an advertisement in the local paper telling Catholics that if they are in public opposition to Catholic law regarding abortion, they may not receive communion. Father Nuno Serras Pereira, OFM, wrote the text of a lengthy ad that appeared March 2, saying that according to the Catholic Code of Canon Law, he is forbidden to give Holy Communion to Catholics who have publicly acted against Church teaching on the life issues.

In an unusually comprehensive list, Fr. Serras Pereira calls his flock to adhere to Catholic teaching on abortion, euthanasia, artificial contraception, in vitro fertilization, eugenic embryo selection, freezing of human embryos, experimentation with human embryos, research with embryo stem cells, ‘fetal reduction’ – that is, abortion to reduce the number of children in the womb – and cloning.

Fr. Serras Pereira also specifies that he will be obliged to refuse communion to politicians who have supported legislation in favour of abortion, including those who voted for it or promoted pro-abortion campaigns. Fr. Serras Pereira says he must refuse communion to those political figures, “who publicly expressed acceptance of the Portuguese ‘law’ approved in 1984 [that allows abortion in the so called hard cases and when there is danger to the mental health of the mother].” In Catholic teaching, a law that is in contradiction to the divine moral law is, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, not a law properly speaking.

Fr. Serras Pereira says he has taken this step, “in order to guarantee the reverence that must be observed when approaching the Son of God in the Eucharistic Sacrament.” Catholics believe that the Eucharist is literally the body and blood of Jesus Christ, miraculously made present on the altar at Mass and that to receive the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin is a sacrilege.

The Cardinal of Lisbon, Jose da Cruz Policarpo, responded by calling Serras Pereira’s declaration an “exaggerated” and “obsessive” “personal attitude.” He said the text was “exaggerated because the pastoral attitude of the Church cannot be defined in this way. I hope that everybody understands that that position [of Father Nuno] is not the official position of the Church.”

Cardinal Policarpo said, “(Fr. Serras Pereira’s) declarations must be seen as an announcement of its personal point of view and the evidence of his concern, almost obsessive, focused on a single topic and, in practical terms, that has few consequences.”

The personal opinion of the Cardinal that these are matters of no importance, however, is not shared by many in Rome. Nor is it shared by his fellow bishops in the US who have forcefully supported the refusal of communion for public dissenters from the faith. Further, the Bishops of Croatia recently stated that in vitro fertilization was a “serious crime,” adding that the 15,000 children born due to that process cost the lives of 285,000 others.

Fr. Serras Pereira wrote that his position was based not on his personal opinion, but on the Catholic Church’s own explicit law. “The extreme importance of what is at stake certainly helps understanding why the (canon) 915 disposes such an extreme measure that must be observed by all ministers of the Eucharist.” Canon 915 says, “Those…who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.” Canon 916 makes a similar interdiction: “Anyone who is conscious of grave sin may not celebrate Mass or receive the Body of the Lord without previously having been to sacramental Confession.”

Fr. Nuno’s superior, Br. Isidro Lamelas, has also failed to support the priest, inexplicably claiming that the Catholic Church no longer excommunicates those who are in opposition to her doctrines and disciplines. In a press release sent to Ecclesia news agency, Br. Lamelas, the Provincial Superior of the Franciscans, said he prefers “charity over law, forgiveness over morals, communion over excommunication.”

The ad and the responses of the priest’s superiors has caused a media furor in Portugal, whose population is largely Catholic. Fr. Serras Pereira writes in a second press release that he has received numerous phone calls and e-mails from supporters of his stand.

He writes, “It appears to me indisputable…that whoever manifestly advocates, contributes to or promotes the death of innocent human beings is publicly unworthy, and, therefore should not be allowed to receive the Holy Eucharist… I do not need any Bishop, Cardinal or Pope to authorize me to deny communion to anybody who is publicly unworthy.”

Catholic News Agency reported on March 14, 2005:

A Franciscan priest in Portugal has caused a stir throughout the media for his refusal to give Communion to public officials who claim to be Catholic but support abortion and other attacks on human life.

Father Nuno Serras Pereira responded to the media uproar with a letter published in a Lisbon newspaper in which he argued that his decision was based on the Magisterium of the Church and on Canon Law, which teach that priests, in fidelity to the norms of the Church, are not allowed to give Holy Communion “to those Catholics who stubbornly and manifestly persist in defending, contributing to, or promoting the death of innocent human beings.”

Father Pereira sent a second letter to the editor in which he wrote that he was thankful for the comments by Cardinal Policarpo, but that “if the cardinal desires to make a pronouncement, in communion with the Holy Father, regarding some doctrinal or moral issue, making use of the authority he has been granted, it belongs to me to listen to and meditate upon his words, and to try to put them into practice. I might add, however, just for informational purposes, that if he makes simple prudential judgments or expresses opinions, any Catholic is free to agree or not.”

“What’s at stake here is the objective responsibility of legislators and other politicians, researchers from laboratories and pharmacies, doctors, opinion makers, journalists, pastors of the Church, and any other person who professes to be Catholic, to not continue to publicly reject the teaching of the Church on such an essential issue as that of the respect for the commandment of the Law of God, Thou shalt not kill the innocent and the just,” Father Pereira wrote.

“The law is at the service of charity, morality at the service of mercy, and excommunication is a teaching at the service of communion—in this sense it’s not ‘either/or’ but rather ‘both/and’,” he concluded.

"For that one reason among many, the United States will suffer unless there is placed into your government a group that fears the Lord if they cannot love the Lord. They will fear Him and find measures to stop the slaughter of the unborn." - Our Lady of the Roses, April 14, 1984

"How can a great country like the United States fall, you say, My child? You ask Me in your heart. I read your heart. I will tell you why. Because they have given themselves over to satan. When a country has lost its morality and seeks the pleasures of the flesh, giving over, themselves over, to all manner of abominations, like homosexuality, and condoning this up the highest courts of the land, then that country shall fall." - Our Lady of the Roses, November 1, 1985

The awesome Bayside Prophecies... https://www.tldm.org/Bayside/default.htm
These prophecies came from Jesus, Mary, and the saints to Veronica Lueken at Bayside, NY, from 1968 to 1995:

SIN OF OMISSION
"The sin of omission shall condemn many to hell, be they layman or Hierarchy. I repeat: not the sin of commission, but the sin of omission will commit many to hell. Among them there will be also mitres." - Our Lady, October 6, 1980

THE UNITED STATES SHALL BE FIRST STRUCK
"One of the reasons the Eternal Father chose your city and your state for My appearance was because of abortion, the murder of the holy innocents. Your nation, without repentance, shall be the first struck." - Our Lady, March 15, 1978

THE UNITED STATES SHALL FALL
"How can a great country like the United States fall, you say, My child? You ask Me in your heart. I read your heart. I will tell you why. Because they have given themselves over to satan. When a country has lost its morality and seeks the pleasures of the flesh, giving over, themselves over, to all manner of abominations, like homosexuality, and condoning this up the highest courts of the land, then that country shall fall." - Our Lady of the Roses, November 1, 1985

DOCTORS
"Doctors now are profaning their profession, those who have given themselves over to destroying human life in abortions." - Jesus, June 6, 1987

FOULEST OF DEEDS
"Our hearts are torn because of the wanton murder of the young by evil man. Abortion, My children, is murder, the most foulest of deeds, that is punishable by death! And what is worse than death of the soul?
"I say unto you, as your Mother, that any man or woman who performs or takes part of this abomination of the murder of the unborn shall be given a heavy penance upon earth, or if this penance is not given upon earth, that person found guilty in the eyes of his God shall suffer eternal damnation in the fires of hell." - Our Lady, December 28, 1976

DESTROYED
"All who become part of or condone abortion, the murder of the young, shall be destroyed!" - Jesus, June 2, 1979

HUMAN LIFE IS SACRED
"The Eternal Father command that you stop these murders at once! You will not destroy the lives of the unborn. Human life is sacred in the eyes of your God. No man has the right to destroy a life. The Father, He sends this life to you, and only He will decide when it will return back to the Kingdom.
"Do not, My children, be deceived by the words of the evil ones about you who cry to you of no space left for man. There is space, for My Father has a plan for every life He sends." - Our Lady, August 5, 1971

WILL NEVER BE CONDONED
"You will remember, My children and My child, to guard the young. Your clergy have fallen into darkness. Abortion will never be condoned. But We must have others who fervently will go forward and bring out to the minds of those who have actually seduced the country and the children--bring them the knowledge of Heaven, hell and purgatory. Then they will not have free license to sin." - Our Lady, May 28, 1983

GOVERNMENT
"For that one reason among many, the United States will suffer unless there is placed into your government a group that fears the Lord if they cannot love the Lord. They will fear Him and find measures to stop the slaughter of the unborn." - Our Lady, April 14, 1984

NUNS
"That is what makes My heart ache, My child. That is one of the reasons Theresa is crying constantly when she looks into the convents and sees what is going on. Many now believe in abortion, the murders of the children; and many have committed this act upon themselves." - Jesus, October 1, 1988

SIXTY MILLION
"I say this for this reason: the Eternal Father is much disturbed at the numbers of abortions being committed throughout your country and the world. These numbers go upwards to fifty to sixty million in one year throughout the world." - Our Lady, June 18, 1986

TREATED AS GARBAGE
"O My child, My tears fall upon you all when I see all of the innocent little babies being slaughtered . . . cast into garbage pails like nothing but dirt and scum. They are living human beings! And all murderers shall get their just recompense." - Our Lady, March 18, 1983

BOMBS IN THE UNITED STATES
"These interlopers upon the serenity of the United States have dark skins.... With their plans there will be bombs placed in strategic places and many shall die at the hands of these ruffians....
"One big reason for permitting this disaster in New York would be the abortion mills throughout the city and the country." - Jesus, October 1, 1988

HOLY SPIRIT
"At the time of conception, the Holy Spirit makes the child, and the breath of the Almighty gives it life." - Our Lady, June 18, 1991

LIMBO
"And what, My children, are We going to do with all the aborted babies? O My child, I know you feel as I do, for I can see the great distress on your face. What are We going to do, My child? Do you understand when they come to Us, they must go to Limbo? They are in Heaven, a happy place, but they cannot see God." - Our Lady, October 2, 1987

SORROWFULLY
"Sorrowfully, the penance that is to come upon the world for the murders of the unborn shall be a chastisement far greater in severity than man has ever witnessed in the past nor ever shall pass through again. Your world is plunging into a deep chasm of suffering and destruction." - Our Lady, May 20, 1978

OATH
"Your once loyal to the oath of a doctor, your once loyal doctors are now butchers! For money they kill the young!" - Our Lady, February 10, 1978

WOE TO THE WOMAN
"Know, My child, this simple lesson, that in these days of the latter times, women will seek to cast off their role as mother and a woman. Women will cast it off under the direction of satan, and murder her children. Woe to the woman who does not repent of this vile abomination! She has walked the road to eternal damnation and hell. Repent, O woman, or forever be lost!" - Our Lady, March 18, 1975

Directives from Heaven... https://www.tldm.org/directives/directives.htm

D23 - Abortion PDF
D28 - Hell PDF
D158 - America the Beautiful PDF
D167 - The Family - Part 1 PDF
D168 - The Family - Part 2 PDF
D186 - Excommunication PDF
D224 - Restore America to One Nation Under God PDF

Articles…

Sacrilegious Communion and the U.S. bishops
https://www.tldm.org/News6/sacrilege.htm

Catholics must be free of grave sin to receive Holy Communion
https://www.tldm.org/News6/ReceptionofCommunion.htm

The Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation
https://www.tldm.org/news6/transubstantiation.htm

Bishop Sheridan will deny Communion to Catholics who vote pro-abortion
https://www.tldm.org/news6/Sheridan.htm

Bishop Wenski calls pro-abortion Catholics who demand to receive Communion "boorish and sacrilegious"
https://www.tldm.org/News6/Wenski.htm

Archbishop Chaput sees pro-abortion Communion scandal as needed "moment of truth"
https://www.tldm.org/News6/Chaput2.htm

Cardinal George says no Communion for gay protesters
https://www.tldm.org/news6/CardinalGeorge.htm

Vatican warns Catholic pro-abortion politicians not to receive Holy Communion
https://www.tldm.org/news6/vaticanwarnsjohnkerrynocommunion.htm

Congressman Hyde is on the U.S. bishops' case
https://www.tldm.org/news6/Hyde.htm

Cardinal Ratzinger says public figures who dissent from Church teachings should not receive Holy Communion
https://www.tldm.org/news6/Ratzinger.htm

Archbishop Burke: more profoundly sorrowful would be a bishop who failed "to safeguard the worthy reception of Communion"
https://www.tldm.org/news6/Burke2.htm

Archbishop Pell: people who reject Church teaching not entitled to Holy Communion
https://www.tldm.org/News4/Pell.htm

Cardinal Ratzinger's letter to the U.S. bishops, on refusing Communion to pro-abortion politicians and those in obstinate sin
https://www.tldm.org/News7/Ratzinger.htm

Gay activists denied Communion in Chicago
https://www.tldm.org/news6/homosexuality17.htm

Monsignor will deny Holy Communion to New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Bernard Kenny
https://www.tldm.org/news6/Kenny.htm

Controversy heats up over Cardinal McCarrick downplaying Vatican direction on refusing Communion to abortionists and other dissenters
https://www.tldm.org/news7/McCarrick.htm

Bishop Galeone: Can a Catholic politician be pro-choice?
https://www.tldm.org/News7/Galeone.htm

The consecrated hands of a priest
https://www.tldm.org/News7/ConsecratedHands.htm

Cardinal Ratzinger says that refusing Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians is a "doctrine of the Church"
https://www.tldm.org/News7/Ratzinger3.htm

Pro-abortion Catholic politicians ignore U.S. bishops' warnings
https://www.tldm.org/News7/ignore.htm

At least 75 pro-abortion Catholic politicians still receiving Communion
https://www.tldm.org/News7/ignore.htm

Three Southern bishops ban Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians
https://www.tldm.org/News7/SouthernBishopsBan.htm

Archbishop Burke says that Vatican letter on pro-abort politicians withheld from U.S. bishops
https://www.tldm.org/News7/Burke.htm

Bishop Gracida twelve-step program for dealing with pro-abortion "Catholics"
https://www.tldm.org/News7/Gracida.htm

Bishop Gracida: denying Holy Communion to a pro-abort politician, a case history
https://www.tldm.org/News7/Gracida3.htm

Vatican Cardinal ends debate: No Communion for pro-abortion politicians or Rainbow Sashers
https://www.tldm.org/News7/AbortionArinze.htm

Bishop Henry says he would refuse Prime Minister Holy Communion, would consider excommunication
https://www.tldm.org/News7/AbortionBishopHenry.htm

Catholic priest to withhold Communion from pro gay "marriage" politician
https://www.tldm.org/News7/homosexualityFatherLemire.htm

Outside Links…

Abortion:

The beginning of the end of abortion, WorldNetDaily, November 13, 2004
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41431

Sin to vote for pro-abortion politicians? Fr. Matthew Habiger
http://www.ewtn.com/library/ISSUES/SINTOVOT.HTM

2002 Canonical Petition to Excommunicate Culture of Death "Catholics"
http://www.cathfam.org/cfexcom/Excom.html

“Whoever is not with Me, is against Me,” Archbishop William Levada
http://www.ewtn.com/library/BISHOPS/LEVADA.HTM

Declaration on procured abortion (CDF, November 18, 1974)
http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFABORT.HTM

The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II, March 25, 1995
http://www.ewtn.com/library/ENCYC/JP2EVANG.HTM

Contraception:

Faithfulness to the Divine Plan in the Transmission of Life Pope John Paul II's General Audience (8 August 1984)

Humanae Vitae Pope Paul VI - Encyclical - On the Regulation of Births (25 July 1968)

Contraception Versus Abortion: A Comparison and Some Implications, By Msgr. Vincent Foy, PhD.

Contraception and Catholic Teaching, Donald DeMarco, Ph.D.

God and the Pill, Terence J. Hughes

Abortifacients, Charles M. Mangan

Contraception: Fatal to the Faith and to Eternal Life, John A. Hardon, S.J.

Is Contraception Gravely Sinful Matter? by Fr Lino Ciccone CM (from L'Osservatore Romano, 4 December 1996)

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