Some Catholics are calling on the church to excommunicate New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the wake of his signing a bill into law legalizing abortion up until the moment of birth.
Cuomo is Catholic. The Catholic Church’s Code of Canon Law states in Law No. 1398 that “A person who procures a completed abortion incurs alatae sententiae excommunication.” The question is: Would that law apply to Cuomo, who signed a law that will result in the death of unborn babies, even though he didn’t perform them himself?
Several media outlets, including the Catholic News Agency and The Washington Post, have tackled the question.
Matthew Schmitz, a Catholic who is senior editor of First Things Magazine and a columnist at the Catholic Herald, believes Cuomo should be excommunicated. In a Tweet, he called on Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York to take action
“If we Catholics really believe what we say when we talk about heaven, hell, and the dignity of the unborn, @CardinalDolan should, after exhausting all other means of correction, excommunicate @andrewcuomo,” Schmitz wrote in a Tweet.
An excommunicated person cannot participate in the church’s sacraments.
Others believe the church in New York could stop short of excommunication and instead consider Cuomo “obstinate perseverance” in grave sin. This would prevent him from participating in communion in…
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