BOSTON, MA (4-23-04) - Today at a press conference in the Vatican, Cardinal Francis Arinze was asked if a priest should refuse communion to a politician who is unambiguously pro-abortion. He responded, "Yes. If the person should not receive it, then it should not be given. Objectively, the answer is there." There has been a controversy in the United States on whether Catholic presidential candidate John Kerry should receive communion.
YCV President Ray Flynn made the following statement regarding Cardinal Arinze's remarks:
"Cardinal Francis Arinze is a thoughtful and well-respected Catholic Church leader whose opinion is widely valued. The Cardinal's comments today at the Vatican reflect the view of many Catholics in the United States.
"I have known and worked with him for many years. His statement will certainly be taken seriously by faithful Catholics."
Ambassador Flynn is the national president of Your Catholic Voice, former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican from 1993 to 1997 and former mayor of Boston.
I do like Arinze, and would love for him to be Pope, if he were Italian. We have a great non-Italian Pope under our current dear Holy Father, but enough is enough. We certainly don't want to make a habit of it. If, however, he were to become Francesco Arinizi, I would back him in a second.
Of course, I tend towards culturalism more than the poison of blood and race nationalism, so if someone could convince me that he is a de facto Italian, that would do. I would need to hear him speak of certain cultural matters to rest my mind.
The Pope is first the bishop of Rome, so he should be a Roman, or someone from the same peninsula, at least (I realize that most of my beloved Tuscans who have found themselves in St. John Lateran have not been the most exemplary of pontiffs, so I will begrudgingly recognize that maybe another region would be better - let us be the artists, cooks, musicians and political theorists and leave the pontifical duties to the Trastevereans, sure).
Erik, you've got to be kidding, right? I want a pope who can steer the whole ship, not just the dinghy! As far as I am concerned, after JP2, ethnic background should never be an issue again.