Mexican diocese to deny communion to Catholic politicians who voted to legalize abortion

Denver Newsroom, Mar 14, 2022 / 01:47 am

After the legislature of the Mexican state of Sinaloa voted to legalize abortion up to 13 weeks, the Diocese of Culiacán announced that Catholic politicians who voted in favor of the law will not be able to receive the Eucharist or be godparents.

In  a statement, Father Miguel Ángel Soto Gaxiola, director of the Culiacán Commission for Life, Family, Youth and Laity, officially announced that Catholic lawmakers who voted in favor of abortion that the decision to deny them Communion is "the recognition of the objectively unworthy state of a person to receive the Body of Christ.”

The Culiacán Diocese is in the state of Sinaloa and includes the capital city of Culiacán. Sinaloa became the seventh Mexican state to decriminalize abortion.

In the letter addressed to Catholic politicians, Father Soto Gaxiola pointed out that "today we have many people scandalized by the public betrayal of the Church's teaching on faith and morals by those legislators who call themselves 'Catholic'."

He continued: "Indeed, the questioning of the faithful makes sense: How can a Catholic who openly promotes and is in favor of policies contrary to Life come to Mass and approach to take communion?

“In the Magisterium of the Church, the value of life has always and at all times been defended from its conception until its natural death,” the statement said.

The document rejects the justification of those who say they "personally believe in the immorality of abortion" but  favor "public policies" that include its legalization.

Citing the encyclical Evangelium vitae of St. Pope John Paul II, the statement said that "this is an erroneous theory, since 'no circumstance, no purpose, no law can make an act lawful that is intrinsically illicit, since it is contradictory to the Law of God, which is written in every human heart, known by reason itself and proclaimed by the Church."

The letter concludes: “Answering the question: Can a deputy or any person who professes to be a Catholic, while openly cooperating or legislating against life, receive Holy Communion? No. You cannot approach Sacramental Communion. Nor that person can be a godparent or companion of other people who want to receive other sacraments such as baptism.” 

This story was first published by ACI Prensa CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.