Speaking before a group of journalists Wednesday, the Most. Rev. Oscar V. Cruz, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, a staunch critic of the Arroyo administration, said "public sinners" should be denied Holy Communion. Asked by a reporter if he would give President Arroyo communion, he reportedly said no. The following day, the archbishop made a complete turnaround, saying he never said he would deny the president communion.
Whether the archbishop really said that and made a full retraction the next day is certainly worth publishing or airing. Removing the president and the archbishop from the picture and distilling the issue to the real message the archbishop wants to at, the undeniable truth is this: those in the state of mortal sin should never receive the Eucharist.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: ANYONE WHO IS AWARE OF HAVING COMMITTED A MORTAL SIN MUST NOT RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession" (Paragraph 1457).
If published accounts are accurate, this is Cruz's simple justification: "It’s like throwing the Body and Blood of Christ into the garbage." I agree.
The archbishop also said it is improper and irreverent to judge who is in the state of mortal sin, even if that person is hounded by issues of moral bankruptcy. So it is now up to the individual himself/herself to examine his/her conscience before even receiving Christ into his/her body.
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