Diocese of Springfield refuses communion to Catholic Illinois lawmakers who backed ‘evil’ abortion bill
A statement from Bishop Paprocki singled out House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, but said any Catholic Illinois lawmaker who supported the two bills will be affected.
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The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois issued a decree Thursday to refuse Holy Communion to House Speaker Michael Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton, and any other Illinois Catholic lawmaker who supported “extreme abortion legislation” this most recent session and in 2017.
According to a statement from the diocese, the decree is a response Madigan and Cullerton’s “leadership roles in promoting the evil of abortion by facilitating the passage” of Senate Bill 25, also known as the Illinois Reproductive Health Act (IRHA), and House Bill 40, which was passed in 2017, and extends to any Catholic lawmaker who voted for either bill.
Madigan responded with a statement Thursday morning defending the legislation, saying the diocese had informed him in advance that he would be barred from taking communion if he supported the IRHA, but “after much deliberation and reflection, I made the decision to allow debate and a vote on the legislation.”
“I believe it is more important to protect a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions, including women who become pregnant as a result of rape or incest,” Madigan said. “With women’s rights under attack in an increasing number of states across the country, Illinois is now a leader in making sure women are protected and their rights are upheld.”
The IRHA, which Gov. Pritzker will likely sign, protects the right to choose an abortion and requires private insurance companies to cover abortion costs. House Bill 40 removed a provision that excluded abortions or induced miscarriages or premature births from the list of services provided under the State’s medical assistance program.
Bishop and canon lawyer Thomas John Paprocki cited Canon 915 and 916 in his decision, and consulted with other canon lawyers in North America before making the decree, according to the statement issued by the diocese .
In the Catholic faith, Holy Communion, of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, occurs when a member of the clergy blesses the bread and wine served at mass, turning them into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Catholics receive communion each week, and it is considered the “most sacred aspect of our Catholic faith,” according to Paprocki.
“To support legislation that treats babies in the womb like property, allowing for their destruction for any reason at any time, is evil,” Paprocki said. “It’s my hope and prayer these lawmakers reconcile themselves to the Church so they can receive Communion.”
