A Catholic bishop in Nigeria has instructed parishioners to show they have registered to vote in elections this April or be banned from communion, a newspaper This Day reported on Tuesday.
Bishop Francis Okobo, who oversees the diocese of Nsukka in the southeastern state of Enugu, authorised the circulation of a bulletin in Catholic churches on Sunday telling the faithful that they had to make their vote count in this year’s elections.
Parishioners were told not to be put off by the outcome of past elections in which the votes of the people did not count because of massive vote rigging.
"Whoever has not collected the voter’s card after February 7 has automatically alienated himself or herself from the community, the Church, the nation and will not be allowed to receive the holy communion," the bulletin said according to This Day.
I would like to see the opposite program here for Catholic politicians. No vote, receive Communion. In issues driven by the Culture of Death the best thing most Catholic politicians could do was not to vote. Unfortunately mostly we have "Vote however you want and still receive Communion program" in most diocese. Partial birth abortion, no problem come right in. Federal funding of ESCR, it’s not my style to deny Communion so come right this way and commit sacrilege and scandal.
2 comments
The problem with not voting is that, in most cases, a non-vote is a vote for the favored issue/person. And to live in a democracy is to be somewhat responsible for our own government.Things are not always simple. The right to life, however, is simple.
Goodness, I hope Rome talks to that Nigerian bishop right quick. Why must so many be all or nothing over things like this? I feel like mailing photocopied pages from the magisterium, properly highlighted of course.
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