Since San Francisco Abp. Cordileone barred Nancy Pelosi from receiving Communion for her public support for abortion, deep ignorance of Catholicism – which we know is rampant even among Catholics – has come into the light. Three very typical examples popped up in the media the past couple days: Whoopi Goldberg saying it wasn’t the bishop’s job to restrict Pelosi, Pelosi herself asking why Catholics supporting capital punishment should be able to receive Communion, and James Martin saying the same thing about politicians who vote against gun control laws.
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For those who need it, let’s clarify.
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No one can ever intentionally support an intrinsic evil without sharing in its guilt. An intrinsic evil is an act that’s always bad regardless of intention or circumstance. No situation could make it acceptable, Since abortion is the killing of an innocent human being, any support for it is grave sin; and one who touts her Catholic faith as a public figure while supporting child-killing causes scandal.
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Capital punishment and gun control are not moral absolutes. Since they’re not intrinsically evil, their moral value depends on extrinsic circumstances, which can change with time. There are possible scenarios in which gun ownership and capital punishment may be justified. Not so with abortion.
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Obviously the act of shooting school children is intrinsically evil, just like the act of aborting preborn children is. But support for bearing arms is not necessarily support for school shootings. Likewise, support for capital punishment is not support for killing the innocent. Hence, it’s a question of prudence on how best to protect the innocent, which may differ in various social and political contexts.
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Bottom line: Intentionally killing the innocent is intrinsically evil. It’s an abomination. While invincible ignorance may mitigate one’s personal guilt, no possible circumstance can justify it. Catholic politicians who obstinately persist in supporting it greatly endanger their own soul and cause grave scandal to others.