Pope Francis’ Recent Words on Communion and His Own Practice Reveal a Potential Lesson for Bishops

National Catholic Register, 23 September 2021

The Holy Father’s words during the inflight press conference from Slovakia have to be read very closely, as he chooses them very carefully.

“I have never refused the Eucharist to anyone!”

That line from the airborne press conference of Pope Francis, returning from Slovakia, ricocheted around the world, to the effect that the Eucharist should not be denied to people in grave sin, or who persist is advancing public policies that promote grave evils. More to the point, given that the question related explicitly to President Joe Biden, the papal answer was interpreted in light of current debates in the United States.

Caution is in order. The Holy Father’s words have to be read very closely, as he chooses them very carefully, as one might expect of a well-trained Jesuit. 

Not True, But Not Lying

Recall that in an recent interview with a Catholic radio station in Spain, COPE, Pope Francis was directly asked about whether he would meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Budapest. He answered that he did not know who was coming to the meeting, which at face value, was an obvious untruth. The participation of Orbán in the meeting had been the subject of months of negotiation, as Pope Francis clearly did not want to meet him, but eventually gave in to the diplomatic niceties. Pope Francis absolutely knew that he would meet Orbán.

So did Pope Francis lie? No. He just carefully said that he didn’t know who was coming to the meeting. After all, he wouldn’t know the name of the photographers, translators, the aides presenting the gifts. “Mental reservation” in papal interviews is a novel pastoral practice, to be sure, but needs to be kept in mind when interpreting them.

It Has Never Happened

The full answer of Pope Francis was that he has never denied Holy Communion to anyone because the situation the questioner posed has never happened to him:

"I don’t know if anyone has come in these conditions! This even as a priest. I have never been conscious of having a person like the one you describe in front of me, that is true."

So Pope Francis has never denied anyone Holy Communion for public, persistent grave sins, because no such person has ever come before him. Simple enough.

An Expected Answer

Such an answer would be expected. After all, the number of priests who have ever denied anyone Holy Communion would be infinitesimally small, if speaking about the moment when someone presents himself for Holy Communion during Mass. The usual pastoral approach would to be speak privately with someone who should not receive Holy Communion, advising that he should not seek to receive. 

Now, if Pope Francis, in more than 50 years a priest, has never had that sort of conversation with anyone, it would be surprising, and a likely dereliction of priestly duty to safeguard the sacraments and attend to the salvation of souls. But he wasn’t asked about that specifically. It is quite likely, given what the Holy Father has said in other circumstances, that he has had those conversations.

What About Biden?

Pope Francis specifically said he would not address the American debate, but we can be quite sure that he thinks that politicians with positions like President Biden should not present themselves for Holy Communion. In a 2010 interview book when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio said this:

"It is true that among parishioners there are persons who have killed not only intellectually or physically but indirectly, with improper management of capital, paying unjust wages. There are members of charitable organizations who do not pay their employees what they deserve, or make them work off the books. [...] With some of them we know their whole résumé, we know that they pass themselves off as Catholics but practice indecent behaviors of which they do not repent. For this reason, on some occasions I do not give Communion, I stay back and let the assistants do it, because I do not want these persons to approach me for a photo. One may also deny Communion to a known sinner who has not repented, but it is very difficult to prove these things. Receiving Communion means receiving the body of the Lord, with the awareness of forming a community. But if a man, rather than uniting the people of God, has devastated the lives of many persons, he cannot receive Communion, it would be a total contradiction." 

So if that is what the Holy Father thinks about unjust wages, what would he think about promoting abortion, given that his words on the plane from Slovakia were unequivocal?

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