Politicising the eucharist once again

The next Catholic primate, Archbishop Eamon Martin, has controversially stated that TDs who support the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill are excommunicating themselves and should be denied communion.

The archbishop’s comments add no clarity to the debate and are politicising the eucharist once again. Legislators are introducing this legislation because they have an obligation to do so because of a decision by the Supreme Court. Their intention is not to aid abortion, as accused by the archbishop — instead their intention is to provide legal clarity for medical practitioners when they are faced with difficult medical decisions about saving life when treating a seriously ill pregnant woman.

I would like to ask the archbishop a question. I also believe the sacrament of Communion is a very sacred one. How does he feel about those senior clerics who knowingly transferred clerical abusers to other parishes, not only resulting in their continued abuse of children, but it also allowed them to continue administering the sacrament of Communion? Does he think that those senior clerics who “knowingly” took this course of action should be allowed to either administer the sacrament of Communion or present themselves for Communion? I await his response.