I thought so!
I received this just last night. It’s a letter from Joe Strada of Fairfax to Bishop Loverde of the Arlington (VA) Diocese concerning an incident in which a member of the Virginia House of Delegates was refused Communion because he genuflected — in St. Thomas More Cathedral in Arlington. I’m not sure what is more disconcerting – Black being asked to stand to receive or the priest asailing him after Mass. Is this a joke? I wish!
The Most Reverend Paul S. Loverde
Diocese of Arlington
200 North Glebe Road, Suite 704
Arlington, VA 22203
Your Excellency,
I am writing to most strongly protest the despicable treatment of the
Honorable Richard Black, member of the Virginia House of Delegates, by your
Cathedral’s Rector, Fr. Dominic Irace, at the 9:30 Mass on Sunday, 22
September. During Delegate Black’s first visit to the Cathedral for Mass,
he dropped to one knee to receive Holy Communion, as he regularly does in
his home parish and elsewhere; Fr. Irace, however, told him that he must
stand to receive. Delegate Black chose, instead, to move on, since Fr.
Irace would only administer the Sacred Host under his (Irace’s) “terms.”
This affront to Delegate Black, and his family, is doubly shameful because
Delegate Black is, without question, the most courageous defender of the
innocent unborn on the floor of the House of Delegates in Richmond. One has
to wonder if Fr. Irace would have been so bold as to refuse Holy Communion
to Senator Ted Kennedy or other militantly pro-abortion “Catholic”
politicians who regularly attend Mass in Arlington churches.
To further compound this outrageous insult to the Black family, Fr. Irace
verbally assaulted Delegate Black, shouting insults to him as exited the
Cathedral. When Delegate Black tried to avoid Fr. Irace, pointing out that
he had refused him Holy Communion, Fr. Irace shouted “you liar!” several
times. As Delegate Black left the Cathedral, Fr. Irace loudly called him a
“conservative idiot,” before many witnesses (from whom you will no doubt
hear). Are these “pastoral skills” fit for a Rector? (One doubts, for
example, that Irace would have called Ted Kennedy a “liberal idiot.”) The
irascible Irace’s tongue-lashings and rude outbursts are, unfortunately,
well known to many, but this time he has crossed all bounds of civil
behavior, especially as the Cathedral Rector.
I most strongly recommend that you or your Chancellor take the following
actions to remedy this shameful situation:
* Instruct Fr. Irace on the contents of the letter from Jorge Cardinal
Medina Estevez (Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the
Discipline of the Sacraments), which includes this admonition to the
American bishops: “. . . protect those faithful who will inevitably be led
by their own sensibilities to kneel, from imprudent action by priests,
deacons, or lay ministers in particular, or from being refused Holy
Communion for such a reason. . .” (25 October 2001, italics mine).
* Enroll Fr. Irace in a course (or two) in pastoral skills and/or
anger management;
* Personally contact Delegate Black and apologize to him and his
family on behalf of the diocese, assuring him that, in accordance with
Vatican direction, he will not be refused Holy Communion for kneeling in any
diocesan church.
I look forward to hearing from you on this most important matter, which
certainly would not pass the “Washington Post test.”
Respectfully in Christ,
Joseph A. Strada
Copy to: Rev. Irace, Rev. Rippy, Hon.& Mrs. Richard Black, Most Rev. Montalvo